ISLAMABAD: In a major shift from its stance on protest call at D Chowk, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday announced that it will hold a ‘massive’ protest on October 15 at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, if the party is not allowed to meet party founder Imran Khan.
While speaking to a private TV Channel, PTI Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram set a condition for the government to withdraw from the announced protest.
“Allow party founder Imran Khan’s meeting with his family and lawyers or face massive protests on October 15,” Sheikh Waqas Akram said.
He said that the government has banned meetings with Imran Khan for the last five or six weeks, adding that even lawyers and family members are not allowed to meet him.
“We have no contact with our leader (Imran Khan) and reports of mistreatment in jail are concerning. Our protest is not against the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, but for access to Imran Khan’s,” Sheikh Waqas Akram added.
He claimed that the government is ‘harassing’ the families of PTI MNAs to get support for the constitutional amendments.
However, Minister for Information Atta Tarar said on Sunday that nobody would be allowed to disrupt the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Islamabad, hinting at strict action against the PTI planned protests.
“Those who have a mindset to conspire against the country should better stay at home as no miscreant will be allowed to disrupt the SCO Summit in Islamabad,” Atta Tarar said while talking to the media.
The minister said that Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure to welcome foreign delegations including 12 heads of the nations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Conference, scheduled for October 15-16.
“The announcements (for protest) do not make any difference as Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure,” he said while referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which had announced to hold protest in coming days.
