Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan voiced his opposition to the party’s planned protest at D-Chowk during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, citing concerns over the timing of such demonstrations. Speaking on a program Center Stage, Khan said, “In my personal opinion, there should not be a protest during the SCO meeting. However, if we are continually pushed against the wall, then we will have no option left.”
Protest on October 15
Despite Khan’s concerns, the PTI political committee reiterated its plan to hold a protest on October 15, the same day the SCO summit is scheduled in Islamabad. In an emergency meeting, PTI’s political committee, without the participation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, decided to move forward with the protest. PTI Secretary of Information Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed the large-scale protest and announced that all organizational heads have been directed to mobilize party members.
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In a bid to focus efforts on the D-Chowk protest, PTI cancelled planned protests across Punjab, which will be rescheduled. The party committee stressed that the ruling government had violated the Constitution and law, accusing them of stealing the people’s mandate.
The committee also highlighted the harsh treatment faced by PTI chairman Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail. According to their statement, his life and safety are at risk as his fundamental rights have been stripped away.
PM Shehbaz Sharif Criticizes PTI’s Call for Protest
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned PTI’s call for another protest at D-Chowk, labeling the party as “chaos-mongers.” In a speech at the Police Lines Headquarters, Shehbaz commended Islamabad police for thwarting previous violent protests by PTI and called out the party for disrupting national and international events. He referenced the 2014 PTI sit-ins, which, he claimed, led to significant damage, including an attack on PTV and injuries to police officers, forcing the postponement of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit.
With tensions rising and the SCO summit on the horizon, the confrontation between PTI and the government could escalate in the coming days.
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