NEW DELHI: A functionary of Imran Khan‘s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said that the party will invite external affairs minister S Jaishankar to participate in a protest organised by the party in Islamabad. Jaishankar will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government (SCO-CHG) meeting in Islamabad on October 15 and 16.
“PTI will invite Jaishankar, Indian External Affairs Minister, to come and join PTI’s protest and speak to our people and see that Pakistan is a strong democracy where everyone has a right to protest,” said Muhammad Ali Saif, an advisor to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on Information.
The PTI has been organising protests, demanding that the government adhere to the constitution and advocating for the independence of the judiciary. It is also calling for the release of its founder who has been imprisoned for more than a year and is facing numerous cases, having been convicted in a few of them. Imran Khan has been in jail since his arrest on August 5, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani authorities have deployed Army troops in Islamabad to ensure security from October 5-17 during the upcoming SCO meeting in view of the protest called by Khan at D-Chowk.
Strict measures have been implemented to prevent PTI supporters from entering the city, including blocking all highways leading to Islamabad, banning pillion riding, and suspending mobile phone services.
Additionally, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits public gatherings, political assemblies, and demonstrations, has been imposed in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to outlaw any political assembly or protest.
