PPP, PTI still at loggerheads over Karachi rally venue

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are still at loggerheads over their planned rallies for May 12 at Hakeem Saeed Ground in Karachi’s Liaquatabad.

PTI’s top leadership on Tuesday said they will relocate their scheduled rally for May 12 only if PPP announces a new venue for their rally.

The announcement came after PTI’s top leadership held a meeting at Karachi Gymkhana a day after several were injured in violent clashes between workers of both parties over the venue dispute.

“If PPP decides to hold their rally at a different venue then we will also change the location of our rally from Hakeem Saeed Ground,” PTI’s Firdous Shamim Naqvi said.

“We will not hold the rally at the ground for the peace and betterment of the city of Karachi,” he added,

However, the PTI leader maintained, “If PPP does not change the venue of their rally, then we will not either.”

Earlier, PPP's Shehla Raza said all parties are free to hold their rally wherever they wish. "Karachi is everyone's and everyone has a right to hold their rally wherever they please."

The PPP leader further questioned, "Why should we relocate our rally, we have permission to hold it at Hakeem Saeed Ground on May 12."

"We do not do politics of power and will not allow law and order of Karachi to be disrupted," Raza added.

Workers of both the parties came face to face on Monday night at Hakeem Saeed Ground and pelted stones and resorted to aerial firing at one another.

Several injured in violent clashes between PPP, PTI workers in Karachi

Party workers engaged in aerial firing, pelting stones at one another over plans to hold May 12 rally at same venue

Two cars were set on fire in Gulshan-e-Iqbal during the clashes and  motorcycles and cars parked at the ground premises were vandalised.