The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday night postponed a protest scheduled for Oct. 15 at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, citing the two-day, ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and assurances from the government of conducting a medical examination of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.
In a statement issued after a meeting of the PTI’s political committee, the party recalled it had announced the protest over reports of Khan being kept in complete isolation for 10 days and a ban on any meetings with inmates at Adiala Jail in light of security concerns. “We repeatedly requested for access to Imran Khan to be restored, his doctors be allowed to examine him, and the lifting of all prevailing restrictions,” read the statement, lamenting the government’s “indifference.”
It noted that the PTI’s “likeminded” political leaders and allied parties had urged it to defer the protest in light of the ongoing SCO summit, a major multilateral forum that sees the heads of government of various countries converge on Islamabad. Additionally, it claimed, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had conveyed to the PTI on behalf of the federal government that in exchange for deferring the protest, a medical team would conduct Khan’s examination and “restore” his rights.
“The political committee reviewed the entire situation and decided to postpone the Oct. 15 protest in the national interest,” it said, adding this should be perceived as a weakness. It warned that if the government did not “correct” its approach, the public might come out on the streets on its own.
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan had previously announced the political committee’s decision, saying the party was postponing its “peaceful” protest on Naqvi’s assurance.
The SCO summit is a major diplomatic event, whose successful conduct is being touted as a national requirement by government officials, who note the presence of major global leaders, including the prime ministers of China and Russia. The PTI’s decision to protest on the same day as the launch of the event had triggered backlash from the government, other political parties, and business and economic experts, who had all urged the PTI leadership to reconsider and postpone their decision.
Earlier, the PTI had claimed it would not defer its protest unless both Khan’s personal physician and his sister were permitted to meet the former prime minister. Additionally, the party chairman had written a letter to the Interior Ministry seeking a meeting between Khan and himself, as well as Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Hamid Raza. This proposal was rejected by the government, which has only agreed to allow a team of doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to visit Adiala Jail and examine Khan.