PTI Considers Delaying Oct15 Protest if Imran Khan Meeting Approved

News Desk 

Islamabad: In a significant development, leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have linked the potential postponement of their planned protest at D-Chowk in Islamabad on October 15, coinciding with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference, to a meeting with their incarcerated leader, former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.

According to a report by a private news channel on Sunday, the party has indicated that the protest would be delayed if they are granted permission to meet Khan at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, by Monday.

During a core committee meeting held on Saturday, PTI leaders emphasized that the protest plans hinge on their ability to meet the former premier. Earlier, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, in a press conference prior to the meeting, accused the PTI of attempting to disrupt the SCO summit.

He warned that the state would use its full force to counter any such efforts. “They want a repeat of the May 9 violence. Their only demand is the release of their imprisoned leader,” Asif stated.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal also accused the PTI of seeking to create chaos and destabilize the country, calling the party’s protest plans a “conspiracy” against the state. PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry echoed this sentiment, vowing that the government would not only condemn the protest but also take measures to prevent it from disrupting the conference.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi affirmed that all political parties are united in supporting the SCO conference, and any protest during the event would be viewed as an attack on national security. He further accused the PTI of consistently undermining peace in the country.

The PTI had previously announced plans for the October 15 protest after an emergency meeting of its political committee on Friday. However, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was notably absent from the meeting. 

Following the session, PTI Secretary of Information Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed that the party was preparing for a large-scale demonstration, with all organizational heads instructed to mobilize for the protest.