Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has sought permission to hold a public rally near Mazar-e-Quaid during the visit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to Karachi.

PTI Karachi President Raja Azhar has written to the Deputy Commissioner East, requesting approval to hold a rally at Jinnah Garden Ground on January 11.

The letter said CM Afridi intends to address the gathering and assured the district administration that the event would remain peaceful and that all rules and the code of conduct would be strictly followed.

The party said it was awaiting a positive decision from the administration to enable the rally to take place.

PTI ties dialogue with govt to Imran Khan meeting

Separately, PTI has made any dialogue with the government conditional on a meeting with party founder Imran Khan.

Speaking to the media at the Factory Chowk checkpoint in Rawalpindi, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the government’s offer amounted to holding talks while Imran Khan remained confined.

He said PTI leaders must meet Imran Khan, hold consultations with him and seek his guidance before any negotiations could proceed.

“It is not possible to detain Imran Khan and then ask us to negotiate,” he said, adding that it was premature to comment on reported contacts between PTI and the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Earlier, the schedule of CM Afridi’s Karachi visit was issued, according to which he will remain in the city from January 9 to 11.

During the visit, he is scheduled to tour various areas, visit the Karachi Press Club and pay homage at Mazar-e-Quaid. He is also expected to meet party leaders and members of the Sindh cabinet.

The visit follows CM Afridi’s recent trip to Lahore, after which he criticised the Punjab government, alleging that PTI was restricted from carrying out political activities in violation of democratic norms.