The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday reiterated that its workers and leadership will gather at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on Oct. 15 (tomorrow) if the government does not grant access to party founder Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
In a video statement, PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar echoed speculation over the health of Khan and warned that any leadership who did not participate would be ousted from the party. “The ticket-holders and office-bearers who fail to reach Islamabad on Oct. 15 will be stripped off their privileges and offices,” he warned, adding he would personally lead the protest from Punjab.
Similarly, PTI leader Asad Qaiser told local media he had appealed to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to facilitate a meeting between Khan and party leaders, adding they might be able to convince the former prime minister to call off the protest if allowed to do so. He said the party would “consider” delaying its protest if access were granted to Khan.
Several parties, including erstwhile allies of the PTI, have urged the party to reconsider holding any protest simultaneously with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, as this was an important matter for the state and had nothing to do with any government or the security establishment.
In his video statement, Azhar noted that party leaders were permitted to meet Khan ahead of the rally in Sangjani and questioned why similar concessions couldn’t be granted ahead of the SCO summit in Islamabad on Oct. 15-16.
Separately, both PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza have written letters to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, requesting permission to meet Khan at Adiala to gauge the health status of the PTI founder.
However, despite the PTI’s threats, the government appears unwilling to grant any further concessions. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the PTI leadership and its workers had no respect for Pakistan and believed that there was no country without Imran Khan. He also rejected the PTI leaders’ claims about risks to Imran Khan’s health inside prison.
PMLN leader Talal Chaudhry, similarly, slammed the PTI for using the SCO conference as an “excuse” to “blackmail” the government.