Huge support for PTI in Sindh a challenge to PPP’s traditional dominance: Sohail Afridi

Nawabshah: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Secretary General Salman Akram Raja declared on Saturday that the overwhelming support for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh, demonstrated by large gatherings of party supporters, posed a significant challenge to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Afridi and Raja addressed crowds of PTI followers who had travelled from various areas of the Benazirabad district to welcome the party’s convoy. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM joined PTI’s provincial President Junaid Akber on a five-day public mobilization campaign in Sindh in support of PTI founder Imran Khan's upcoming Sept 27 nationwide protest for the release of Khan and his immediate medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

Sohail Afridi acknowledged the determination of the people, particularly women, who had to endure long waits to see the PTI leaders arrive in towns like Naushahro Feroze, where they received warm welcomes from supporters in large numbers. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM emphasized that the PTI’s popularity across Sindh demonstrated a major shift in the province's political landscape, threatening the PPP's traditional dominance.

Afridi criticized the practice of dynastic politics at both federal and provincial levels, asserting that genuine leadership arises from the will of the people, not from backroom arrangements.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM also criticized the current administration's handling of the national debt, which had increased from Rs43 trillion after the PPP’s tenure to over Rs97 trillion under the incumbent government, indicating the poor performance of the ruling parties. Afridi blamed the ruling parties for misusing taxpayers' money by investing in luxury properties abroad while neglecting basic amenities for ordinary citizens.

He condemned the government for repeatedly ignoring judicial orders to provide proper medical treatment to Imran Khan while he is unlawfully imprisoned and urged the public to join the Sept 27 protests across the country to support Khan, release political prisoners, and demand the withdrawal of false cases against him. Afridi assured the crowds that the campaign would continue despite any threats or obstacles.

Salman Akram Raja, PTI’s provincial President, told the gathering that Khan's fight was for securing Pakistan’s democratic future and protecting people's rights, urging Sindh’s masses to actively participate in the protest on Sept 27, calling it a crucial turning point in the struggle for people's rights. Other prominent PTI leaders, including Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, Sardar Sher Mohammed Rind, and others, were also present.