PPP requested to hold rally first, PTI 'illegally set up camp': Ghani

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had submitted its request to hold a rally in the metropolis' Hakeem Saeed Ground on May 4 as opposed to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which put theirs forward on May 7, the president of the PPP's Karachi chapter said Monday night.

While addressing reporters here last night, Saeed Ghani, the head of PPP's Karachi chapter, said the PTI had announced its rally at the Quaid's Mausoleum but set up its camp across us in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

"The PTI had illegally set up camp in Hakeem Saeed Ground for three days. However, any political party that wants to hold a rally needs to follow rules," he said.

At least "21 of our party workers were wounded due to the stone-pelting", Ghani claimed, adding that he was not going to deny that his party members were also involved in throwing stones, but only as a defensive, retaliatory act.

In response to the Imran Khan-led party's allegations that the PPP lit its camps on fire, he said: "Our workers helped put out the fire in the PTI's camps; so how is it possible that someone who ignited the flames would put them out later?"

Ghani instead blamed members of the PTI and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for creating the tensions Monday night.

"They were working on the MQM's agenda. The PTI wishes to become the second MQM of Karachi," he stressed.

"The PTI workers adopted a thuggish attitude throughout!"

Ghani also claimed that the PTI leaders had admitted their mistake of not requesting permission to hold the rally in Karachi's Hakeem Saeed Ground.

"We will now have a judicial investigation on this matter."