PTI pushes ahead with D-Chowk protest

Party determined to make protest a large-scale event, tying its success to release of Imran Khan

Khayam Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is intensifying preparations for a large-scale protest, directing its ticket holders and workers from across the country to converge at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15.

The protest is part of a broader strategy to demand the release of the party’s detained founder Imran Khan, as party leaders emphasise that demonstrations will continue until their demands are met.

Sources within PTI revealed that the party leadership has instructed workers from different cities to join the protest at D-Chowk. The leadership has made it clear that the protest will not end until the PTI founder is released from custody.

According to insiders, the organisational responsibility for the protest has been divided between key leaders. Former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khurshid has been tasked with overseeing the overall protest, while Hammad Azhar, a senior party figure, has been given the responsibility of mobilising supporters from Punjab.

Despite the party’s best efforts, PTI sources stated that they have not yet been granted a meeting with their incarcerated party founder in Adiala Jail. This has further galvanised the party’s rank and file, prompting a more aggressive push towards the protest.

In the lead-up to the planned protest, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur convened a high-level meeting at the CM House in Peshawar. The meeting was attended by PTI’s national and provincial assembly representatives, as well as key party leaders from the province’s four regions. The meeting focused on devising strategies to ensure maximum participation in the protest, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sources confirmed that the strategy for mobilising a significant number of participants has been finalised. The party’s core leadership is determined to make the protest a large-scale event, tying the success of the demonstration to their key demand— the release of their detained leader.

The protest’s timing coincides with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad, a high-profile international event, which has put additional pressure on both PTI and the government. Party insiders mentioned that they are prepared for a prolonged sit-in if their demands are not met, signalling a potentially extended period of unrest in the capital.

Meanwhile, political figures outside of PTI have called for the protest to be postponed.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman reportedly reached out to PTI leader Asad Qaiser, urging the party to delay the protest in light of the SCO summit. Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed concerns about the potential disruption the protest could cause and called for access to be granted to Imran Khan’s personal physician as a gesture of goodwill.

During their conversation, the two leaders also discussed various constitutional proposals tabled by JUI-F, with Qaiser noting that there was significant alignment between the two parties on several points. Qaiser confirmed that a meeting of opposition parties is scheduled for October 17 to finalise a draft of the constitutional proposals.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has also appealed to PTI to reconsider the timing of the protest. JI’s naib emir, Liaquat Baloch, emphasised the importance of the SCO summit for Pakistan, describing it as a matter of national pride. He urged PTI to prioritise national dignity over political differences and to postpone the protest until after the summit.

Baloch also called on the government to meet PTI’s demand for a meeting between their founder and his legal team, highlighting the importance of resolving political differences through dialogue rather than confrontation.

The protest preparations come at a time of heightened political instability in Pakistan. The political landscape has been increasingly polarised, with PTI accusing the government of using legal cases as a tool to suppress political dissent. PTI leaders have repeatedly criticised the ruling coalition for what they describe as a campaign of political victimisation against their party and its leadership.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Advisor Barrister Saif has reiterated that PTI’s protests will continue until Imran Khan is released, adding that the cases against him are politically motivated. Saif also reacted to statements by federal ministers Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, accusing them of panic in response to PTI’s ‘peaceful’ protests.