— PML-N, PPP leaders strongly denounce PTI’s demo despite SCO meeting
— Govt to be responsible for any untoward incident on PTI’s Oct 15 protest; says Sheikh Waqas
ISLAMABAD: Federal government on Saturday strongly reacted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI’s) call for holding protest demonstration at D-Chowk on the same day the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit is being held with PTI sticking to its guns.
The PTI has announced the suspension of its protests in Punjab and issued a nationwide call urging party leaders and workers to converge in Islamabad on Oct 15. The PTI has also demanded immediate access for party leaders and family members to its founder, Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail. The announcement comes amid government’s decision to ban visits to Imran Khan at Adiala Jail until Oct 18.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal termed the demo as “political terrorism”, claiming the demo is aimed at maligning the country and stopping its development and economic progress.
Addressing a press conference here, the planning minister expressed disappointment at the timing of the PTI’s protest coinciding with the SCO summit, which he said was a great honour for the country.
“Now there is no doubt, that terrorism in Karachi and political terrorism protest calls are similar,” the minister said adding that the “scriptwriter” was the same person who on one hand was using terrorists to carry out explosive attacks, and on the other, was using PTI to spread anarchy and undermine Pakistan’s vital interests.
Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said while speaking to the media in Sialkot that the courts should take notice of the protest call, saying they were bound to do so.
“The state will use all its power, resources and might … to stop this attack at the country’s repute,” he said, adding that the government would not allow anyone to sabotage the SCO moot.
“Absolutely not,” the defence minister vowed.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Amir Muqam also strongly rejected the PTI’s protest call.
“It is proof of anti-nationalism. There is no doubt that PTI’s agenda seemed to be anti-Pakistan because PTI has declared the protest on this important occasion”.
He added that the PTI “once again showed its real face as the meeting of SCO is very important for Pakistan”.
The minister noted that in any case, the protest could not be allowed on the occasion and the protest call was “condemnable and very sad”, adding that protests and processions could be held at any other time.
PPP representatives also joined the PML-N chorus in denouncing the protest call.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said the announcement of a PTI) protest was part of a conspiracy.
He criticised the PTI for “consistently pursuing an agenda against the country and collaborating with enemies of the state”. Kundi emphasised that the government would not allow any plots to destabilise Pakistan to succeed and urged the PTI to retract its protest call.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said the move raised many questions and asked what the PTI wanted to achieve through it.
“Putting on a circus in Islamabad in the presence of foreign high-level delegations and international media is condemnable. The PTI is attacking national interests with mobs and politics of anarchy.
“No responsible political party in the country gives a call for protest on the day of a global conference. The PTI is giving a very negative message to the world,” she criticised.
Rehman questioned if the PTI did not want any foreign delegation to come to the country and called on the party to review and withdraw its protest announcement.
Govt to be responsible for any untoward incident on PTI’s Oct 15 protest: Sheikh Waqas
Meanwhile, PTI secretary infiormation Sheikh Waqas Akram said on Saturday that the PTI leadership will be on the streets on Oct 15 for lodging its protest against the government, adding, “if anything untoward happened in the protest, only the government will be responsible”.
Speaking to a private TV channel program, he said that neither the PTI was harming Pakistan nor the PTI Founder Imran Khan.
Expressing his view regarding ban on meetings with the PTI founder in jail, he demanded fair treatment with Khan, adding that the court should allow meeting of Imran Khan and his family.
On a question about the much-touted constitutional amendment, Akram lashed out at the government for not coming up with any draft on the amendments, saying that at least the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) shared its proposed draft.
