“PTI Divided Over Oct 15 Protest Amid SCO Summit
- Barrister Gohar, KP CM Gandapur Oppose D-Chowk Demo"Hammad Azhar, Gill Face Resistance Within PTI Over Protest Plans
Islamabad-(Mudassar Iqbal)-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur are among those opposing the party’s planned protest at D-Chowk on October 15, coinciding with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. They believe the protest would harm Pakistan’s interests and embarrass the nation in front of visiting foreign dignitaries.
Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan and Raoof Hasan are also among the minority that believe it is not in the interest of Pakistan to hold such a protest. Ali Muhammad Khan though not a part of the PTI’s political committee, is also upset with the protest call for October 15.
PTI sources have said that Shehbaz Gill, Hammad Azhar, Khalid Khurshid and Hafiz Farhat are leading the hawkish elements, who prevailed in pursuing the political committee to give a call for protest at the D-Chowk Islamabad for October 15 — the first day of the two-day SCO summit.
It sounds unbelievable but a source said a person like Salman Akram Raja also supported the hawkish elements and endorsed the idea of protest in the Red Zone at a time when the SCO leadership would be meeting within a few kilometres from the protest site. The lawyer could not be reached for comments. As against him, CM Gandapur, who in public appears aggressive, voted against the PTI protest on the occasion of the SCO summit.
Murad Saeed is not a member of PTI’s political committee, but he is reportedly the first one to post on “X” about the protest call. The sources noted that the likes of Gill and Azhar use the party’s social media to target those in the party who resist decisions like holding a protest at the D-Chowk on October 15 and boycotting the All-Parties Conference.
Those who are trying to get the protest call withdrawn fear any untoward incident or any clash between the PTI supporters and law-enforcing agencies will not be in the interest of Pakistan. It may hurt the SCO summit and upset the high-profile foreign guests, including heads of government.
The source said many people may not join the protest. He, however, admitted even if it is successful, the protest will be in conflict with the interests of Pakistan.