Pakistan: PTI to hold protest at Islamabad's D-chowk during SCO Summit

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced another demonstration on October 15 at Islamabad's D-Chowk, the day when the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit will commence, ANI reported.

According to ANI, PTI announced the decision following the party's political committee meeting. PTI's central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said a 'powerful' protest would be held at D-Chowk in Islamabad on October 15. He announced PTI's decision in a post on X.

He claimed that PTI's protest in Punjab province is called off and they have called for the release of PTI workers, leaders, and Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) detained in Punjab, ANI reported.

The Imran Khan-founded party demanded a stop to the federal and Punjabi governments' "illegal" raids and arrests. Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that the PTI chairman's life is at risk as a result of the government's actions, which have 'stripped' him of basic human rights.

Akram also condemned the government for oppression and violence, saying that PTI will not back out. He further states, "The entire Pakistan will take to the streets on October 15, if Imran Khan is not granted access to basic rights, family, and party leaders," the report said, as cited by ANI.

The SCO Summit is slated to be held from October 15 to 16 in the national capital. Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, had earlier said that attempts were being made to incite instability during the Chinese premier's planned bilateral visit to the nation and that accusations were being made against the administration.

According to ANI, he compared the PTI's recent protest to the party's 2014 sit-in and stated that repeating a "gory tale" would not be tolerated at any cost.

He said, "Such incidents are a replica of 2014-15 incidents when a sit-in was staged for months and was not called off despite the announcement of the Chinese president's visit to Pakistan without bothering about its impact on the country's image and national economy... We will not allow it to be repeated. We will not tolerate it at any rate, at any cost. This is my promise. I will not let it happen."

(With inputs from ANI)