The PTI would protest on October 11, 12, 13, and 14 as Imran Khan’s party decides to up the ante in its anti-government campaign, according to its new programme for demonstrations.
“On October 14, before the culmination of protests, we will release our programme for new protests. Most probably it will be nationwide and not just limited to cities,” PTI leader Raoof Hassan said while appearing on News Insight with Amir Zia which was aired on Aaj News on Tuesday.
In recent weeks, the PTI has organised numerous rallies nationwide to protest the “unlawful” detention of its founder, the delays by the Election Commission of Pakistan in executing the verdict on reserved seats, and to advocate for the “preservation” of the Constitution.
Prior to its rallies in Islamabad and Lahore earlier this month, the government imposed a series of stringent regulations. Imran Khan’s party did not fully adhere to these guidelines, leading to confrontations between its supporters and law enforcement agencies.
“We are gradually heading towards our goals and want to maintain pressure. We want that Constitution is followed in Parliament and on legal fora,” Hassan said and added that attempts to “erase PTI’s name from people’s mind” were making it stronger.
When asked if PTI would protest during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, he said that the party would make a decision before the culmination of protests on Monday.
Pakistan is set to host a two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad on October 15 and 16, with leaders from the bloc attending the event.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also visit the country to participate in the summit.
The SCO, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a significant economic and security bloc that has become one of the largest trans-regional international organizations.
The government has already deployed army troops in the federal capital to maintain order ahead of the SCO summit.
Hassan added that the party’s political committee makes decisions related to protests.
In response to a query, he said that more than 2,000 supporters of PTI have been arrested for participating in protests.
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He was of the view that the presence of law enforcement agencies on KP House in Islamabad and sealing it was an attack by the “federation on federation.”
The PTI senior leader added that the ultimate solution to the political issue was a dialogue between his party and the establishment. “I am hopeful that this breakthrough will occur,” he said and blamed the trust issue and the government for not having talks.
