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.
