Imran Khan willing to relocate protest, But Bushra Bibi insisted on D-Chowk: Barrister Saif

ISLAMABAD: In a new revelation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government spokesperson Barrister Saif has claimed that former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was open to relocating the party’s ongoing protest, but his wife, Bushra Bibi, insisted on holding the demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk as originally planned.

Speaking in a private news channel program, Barrister Saif explained that Imran Khan had agreed to shift the protest site to Sangjani, a location on the outskirts of the capital. However, Bushra Bibi reportedly rejected the idea, maintaining that the protest should only take place at D-Chowk. Saif further asserted that Bushra Bibi played a pivotal role in leading the protest, especially from the front.

The tension surrounding the protest site comes amid growing concerns from the government. Earlier on the same day, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused a ‘hidden hand’ of controlling PTI’s actions, claiming that it was the main force behind the ongoing unrest. Naqvi stated that while the PTI leadership may have wanted to negotiate, an external influence was dominating the narrative and escalating the situation.

Naqvi also addressed the recent violence, revealing that a Punjab Police official and three Rangers had been martyred, while five police officers were critically injured in the clashes. He condemned the use of teargas and claimed that the protesters were carrying teargas shells with them. The minister further stated that the Islamabad police had been given full authority to deal with the situation.

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The authorities have been working to avoid any large-scale confrontation, opening up roads to Sangjani and seeking to prevent any spectacle in Islamabad. Despite the ongoing tensions, the government insists that they are taking steps to restore peace and control the situation.

This marks a new phase in the ongoing political unrest surrounding PTI, as the party grapples with internal divisions and mounting pressure from the government and security forces.