PTI links protest call-off to meeting with founder

ISLAMABAD:

The core committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has tied the cancellation of its planned protest at D-Chowk on October 15 to a meeting with the party's founder.

During a meeting chaired by Barrister Salman Akram Raja, the committee decided that if a doctor, lawyer, or party leader meets with the PTI founder by October 14, the protest will be called off.

Otherwise, a large-scale protest will take place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

The committee expressed serious concern over the health of the party's founder and accused the government of deliberately restricting access to him as part of a calculated conspiracy.

While some members suggested postponing the protest due to the SCO summit, leaders such as Shahbaz Gill and Khalid Khurshid opposed the delay.

PTI's Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated on social media that the protest call would be withdrawn if the meeting with the party founder is arranged.

He warned that the government would be held responsible for any harm caused during the protest.

"Those in power are always responsible," he said, adding that if a meeting could be arranged for the postponement of the Sangjani Islamabad rally, it should also be possible now to avoid protests during the SCO summit by allowing the founder to meet his doctor and family, which is his legal right.

Akram further criticised the government's unnecessary stubbornness and emphasized that logic dictates that a meeting should take place to resolve the matter. He added that governments should avoid unnecessary conflicts, no matter who is in power.

In the meantime, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar has submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Interior, requesting a meeting with the party's founder.

In his application, Barrister Gohar expressed concerns about the founder's health, noting that no meeting has been allowed since October 3.

He requested that he and Hamid Raza be allowed to meet with the PTI founder, citing increasing fears over his wellbeing.

 

JI, JUI-F urges postponement

On another front, there was a telephone conversation between JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI's Asad Qaiser.

Following the call, Asad Qaiser revealed that Maulana had urged PTI to postpone the October 15 protest in light of the SCO summit and called for medical facilities and access to be granted to the PTI founder's personal physician.

The two leaders also discussed constitutional proposals presented by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, with Qaiser noting that there was substantial agreement on several points between the two parties.

Qaiser added that a joint meeting of opposition parties will be held on October 17 to finalise the constitutional draft, and he assured Maulana Fazlur Rehman that his party would carefully consider the proposals before responding.

Similarly, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) also urged PTI to delay its planned protest on October 15.

JI's naib emir, Liaqat Baloch, welcomed Pakistan's hosting of the SCO summit, calling it a matter of national pride, not just for the government or any political party, but for the entire nation.

He stressed that national dignity should take precedence over political differences, and urged the PTI to postpone their protest. Additionally, he called on the government to meet PTI's demand for a meeting between Imran Khan and his legal team.

Baloch stressed the need for the country's political and democratic leadership to engage in national dialogue to resolve political differences and end instability.

He warned that if political parties continued to rely on the establishment for power, Pakistan would face deeper political, democratic, parliamentary, and economic crises.

 

He said that resolving political conflicts through dialogue was a test of the political maturity and wisdom of national leaders.

On another note, Baloch condemned the terrorist attack at Karachi Airport, describing it as an anti-state act.

He expressed solidarity with China, Pakistan's "Iron Brother," and stated that the mastermind behind this conspiracy was a shared enemy of both countries.

He further remarked that the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China is laying the groundwork for new global alliances.