• Govt backs down ‘for sake of summit’, agrees to party’s demand for meeting with ex-PM
• Medical board from Pims also expected to examine PTI founder today

ISLAMABAD: In a late-night development, the PTI decided to call off its planned protest in the federal capital, which was set to coincide with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit being held in strict security today (Tuesday).

The decision was made after the party received an assurance that a medical expert would visit Adiala Jail today to examine PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.

“As you know that the health of Imran Khan is the top most priority for all the leaders and workers of the party. Since October 3, no lawyer, family member or party leader has been allowed to meet founding chairman. That is why the political committee of the PTI had announced a protest at D-Chowk on 15th October. We also submitted an application to the interior ministry to allow a party leader, family member or health professional to meet the founding chairman,” PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said in a video message posted on social media site X.

“As the SCO conference is being held, so our alliance parties also requested us to postpone the protest as representatives of the friendly countries have reached Islamabad. The government has given us an assurance that the doctor will meet Imran Khan on Tuesday morning. It was discussed with the party leadership in the meeting of the political committee and it has been decided to postpone the protest,” he said.

The government, which had earlier refused to back down from its tough stance on dealing with PTI protesters with an “iron hand” if they tried to protest, on Monday agreed to most of the party’s demands, including arranging a meeting between party leaders and founding chairman Imran Khan and facilitating his medical checkup.

However, some PTI leaders remained skeptical, questioning the government’s true intentions, with a number of party stalwarts suspecting that the government’s offer might be a tactical move to distract the party from its planned protest at D-Chowk and pave the way for the passage of a proposed constitutional amendment.

It is worth mentioning that the PTI had announced plans to hold a protest at D-Chowk from October 15, on the call of Imran Khan.

On Sunday, after a telephonic conversation with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had suggested that the party could withdraw the protest call if the government arranged a meeting between the incarcerated PTI founding chairman and party leaders in Adiala Jail. He said that only Imran Khan had the authority to call off the protest.

Similarly, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar wrote to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, requesting for a meeting with Imran Khan.

However, on Monday morning, the interior ministry categorically rejected the request. Ministry sources claimed that Mr Naqvi spoke with Barrister Gohar but did not provide any assurance that a meeting would be arranged. They said that due to security concerns related to the SCO, there was a ban on meetings between Adiala Jail prisoners and visitors.

Ministry sources were of the opinion that relaxing the rules for a single individual would deprive other prisoners of their rights and would be viewed as a double standard on the part of the government.

However, by late Monday night, the interior ministry and other government institutions expressed willingness to arrange a meeting between Barrister Gohar and Imran Khan. At that point, the PTI changed its stance and demanded that at least one family member be allowed to meet Mr Khan, and his family physician should also be permitted to visit Adiala Jail for a medical checkup.

Government sources hinted that they were willing to arrange a meeting for Mr Khan and would also send a medical board from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to examine the PTI founding chairman on Tuesday morning.

Asad Qaiser, speaking to Dawn on Monday night, confirmed that he was aware of the government’s change of heart, but said the matter would be discussed during a meeting of the party’s political committee, which ended around midnight.

PTI KP chapter’s threat

Earlier, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter announced on Monday that its workers would march on Islamabad today (Tuesday) if the government failed to arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and his family, lawyers, or doctors.

The decision was taken during a PTI parliamentary party meeting, chaired by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in Peshawar, and attended by party lawmakers from the national and provincial assemblies as well as other leaders.

A statement issued after the meeting said it reviewed arrangements for the Tuesday protests in Islamabad. “The meeting decided that party workers will march on Islamabad if a meeting with Imran Khan is not arranged with his sister, doctors, or party leaders,” the statement added. Party lawmakers were also assigned responsibilities for the Tuesday protest.

A PTI official, talking to Dawn, said party leaders and lawmakers had been directed to bring their supporters for the protest, with each lawmaker tasked with bringing over 500 individuals. “We will stick to the same time-tested strategy employed in previous protests by the party’s KP chapter,” he stated.

Manzoor Ali in Peshawar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024