ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is facing internal divisions over plans to hold a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15, coinciding with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where high-profile international leaders will be present.
A faction of PTI leaders, including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, have opposed the protest, citing concerns over its timing and potential impact on Pakistan’s international standing.
Other prominent party figures, such as Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, and Raoof Hasan, have also voiced their objections, arguing that the protest could harm the country’s image during an event of global significance.
Despite these concerns, hawkish elements within the party, led by Shehbaz Gill, Hammad Azhar, Khalid Khurshid, and Hafiz Farhat, pushed for the protest to go ahead. Sources indicate that this group prevailed during internal discussions, convincing the PTI political committee to give the go-ahead for the demonstration on the first day of the SCO summit.
Unusually, Salman Akram Raja, a well-known lawyer, also supported the protest, while Gandapur, known for his hardline public stance, voted against it. According to sources, Gandapur, despite his typically aggressive rhetoric, expressed concern about holding a protest while foreign dignitaries are in the capital.
The protest call has already been amplified on social media, with Murad Saeed among the first to promote it. PTI insiders have noted that party figures like Gill and Azhar are using social media platforms to criticize those within the party who are trying to withdraw the protest call.
Several PTI leaders, speaking anonymously, expressed fears that the protest could lead to clashes between party supporters and law enforcement agencies, which could disrupt the SCO summit and damage Pakistan’s reputation on the international stage. These leaders are actively working to cancel the protest to ensure the country’s image is protected.
One senior PTI leader admitted that many party supporters are unhappy with the timing of the protest, and there is concern that turnout may be lower than anticipated. Even if the protest succeeds in mobilizing a crowd, they warned it would still conflict with Pakistan’s broader national interests, particularly during such a significant diplomatic event.
