KARACHI: The city was bracing itself on Saturday for a big political show by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf which announced earlier that a 'tsunami' would pummel Karachi on Sunday.
Party leaders and activists were putting in their last efforts to make their first major activity here a success with claims of having made arrangements for 250,000 people near the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam.
Video messages by celebrities, including Wasim Akram, were also being uploaded on popular social networking websites.
The planned rally also kept the security and local administrations engaged in their own respective chores, announcing plans for traffic for the day and deployment of more than 1,000 armed policemen to keep an eye on the venue.
“We are deploying more than 1,000 policemen, who will be assisted by Sindh Rangers personnel,” SSP-East Javed Alam Odho told Dawn .
“Each and every object inside the venue is under surveillance — whether it's the stage or entrances. The PTI has itself arranged walkthrough gates that would also be manned by police.”
He said armed police guards would also be posted on the rooftops around the venue, and sophisticated gadgets had also been arranged for technological assistance in securing the rally site.
“I must say the security arrangements are quite elaborate. We also have assistance of traffic police and Rangers personnel to execute the security plan,” said SSP Odho.
The PTI leaders expect 'a sea of Karachiites' at the mausoleum with people from every district of the province and stratum of society. They also asked people to 'shed fear' and attend the rally with their families.
“We have placed chairs and arranged of mats as well for people at the venue,” said Firdaus Shamim Naqvi, a senior PTI leader.
“We expect hundreds of thousands of people and have made arrangements for over 250,000 people. We are confident of this rally's success and see it as the beginning of non-violent politics in Karachi.”
Apart from the police arrangements, armed youngsters were also seen at the rally venue. Some PTI activists told Dawn that they were party workers and deployed as part of the security measures taken by the PTI on its own. Youngsters in different areas were also seen taking to roads on motorbikes and in cars carrying PTI flags and Imran Khan's portraits.
The internet savvy activists of the PTI, which is known for active campaigning on social networking websites, were seen uploading video message of Pakistan's former cricket captain Wasim Akram, recognised for sporting grooming under Mr Khan's captaincy.
“Whoever is my fan and whoever is cricket fan, and most importantly who wants betterment of this country, I request them to attend the Dec 25 rally of Imran Khan in Karachi to show that this country needs change. It's about time,” said Mr Akram in a 22-second video.
By Imran Ayub
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