Sindh is under a regime resembling martial law, not democracy, under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: Haleem Adil

Karachi (July 26) – Protests erupted in various cities of Sindh, called by the Pakistan Constitution Protection Movement Alliance, demanding the release of PTI leaders including Imran Khan, freedom of the judiciary, and against rising inflation. The protests took place in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Larkana divisions. Despite being peaceful, police arrested over 50 PTI workers.
PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh criticized the police’s actions, saying that Sindh is under a martial law-like regime, not democracy under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Sheikh was stopped by police when he visited PTI leader Saud Farooqi’s house in Tando Muhammad Khan, where a significant police presence, equipped with tear gas, attempted to block their entry.
Speaking to the media, Sheikh questioned the democratic nature of Sindh under Bilawal Bhutto’s leadership and criticized the police for targeting PTI members instead of criminals. He declared that peaceful protests, which are a constitutional right, would continue until Imran Khan and other PTI leaders are released. He accused the Sindh government of turning the province into a no-go area for PTI and challenged Bilawal to compete politically rather than suppress opposition.
After a court appearance in Hyderabad, Sheikh reiterated that no one can ban PTI, the country’s largest party, which has substantial representation in the National and Provincial Assemblies. He highlighted that peaceful protests would persist and condemned police actions against PTI workers.
Haleem Adil Sheikh stated that protests are taking place across the country in collaboration with allied parties. Every tehsil in Sindh has recorded protests, including peaceful demonstrations in every tehsil of Sindh Province, but police have assaulted our workers in various locations. The entire nation has one demand: the release of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and all other leaders, the end of rising inflation, and the complete independence of the judiciary.
Sheikh remarked that the issue of false cases is old news, and now that our captain is in jail, these prisons hold no significance for us. The winds are about to change direction. Imran Khan has sent a message that the PDM government is a group of greedy monkeys who wish to see the nation and the army in conflict. We will not let this happen. PML-N and PPP aim to create rifts between PTI and Pakistani institutions. We urge COAS General Asim Munir to monitor this conspiratorial group and prevent divisions within the nation, as both the nation and the army are ours he added.
Haleem Adil Sheikh stated that justice prevailed in Lahore yesterday, with the judiciary delivering a fair decision, marking a victory for truth and righteousness. He noted that the false narrative of May 9 has also been dispelled with this ruling. Sheikh mentioned that all false cases are being dismissed through the courts and expressed confidence that Imran Khan will soon be released from jail.
Sheikh added that the governments formed by Form 47 have limited time left; these administrations, established on stolen mandates, cannot last long.
PTI senior leader Justice (r) Noor-ul-Haq Qureshi also criticized the current government, describing it as a regime of greedy individuals clinging to power. He emphasized the need for justice and equality in society and warned that the current government, formed on a stolen mandate, would not last long.
In response to the police’s actions against PTI members and leaders, PTI Sindh General Secretary Advocate Ali Palh, Additional General Secretary Rizwan Niazi, and Information Secretary Muhammad Ali Baloch condemned the lack of democratic governance in Sindh, asserting that the police were focused more on suppressing PTI rather than tackling crime.
Muhammad Ali Baloch, spokesperson for PTI Sindh, claimed that the police arrested more than 50 PTI workers during a peaceful protest. He added that since last night, the police have raided the houses of PTI leaders in Mithi, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Karachi, Hyderabad, and other cities.