Govt urges PTI to postpone 15 Oct rally amidst SCO moot

The federal government has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to step back on the protest call on October 15, as the country is set to host global leaders in the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moot.

“These are the tactics of the party they stage protests on such occasions,” said Vice Prime Minister Ishaq Dar while addressing a press conference with Information Minister Atta Tarar in Islamabad.

Dar said that the SCO meeting, which will be held on Tuesday (tomorrow), will be attended by at least 1,000 foreign dignitaries, premiers, presidents, and foreign ministers from several countries, including India. The delegation will consist of a minimum of 16 members.

The country is fully prepared to receive foreign delegations with high-alert security in Islamabad and seeking positive outcomes from the meeting to boost bilateral and multilateral ties with the world.

However, the government believed that the PTI’s protest would cause irruptions in the law and order situation in the federal capital and demanded to postpone the protest.

“The party is doing the same, as it did in 2014, creating an unprecedented atmosphere in the country, but Pakistan should be over priority to politics for we all," Dar noted.

“PTI should step back on the October 15 protest call in the country’s interest, and we support reconciliation, but PTI has crossed the line during the May 9 protest, so they could not be talked,” added the vice prime minister.

On the other hand, PTI’s Qaisar penned on the ‘X’ that Maulana Fazlur Rehman also requested the top brass to postpone the protest in view of an international conference.

مولانا فضل الرحمان صاحب سے ٹیلیفونک رابطہ ہوا، جس میں مولانا صاحب نے شنگھائی کانفرنس کے تناظر میں 15 اکتوبر کے احتجاج کو موخر کرنے کی اپیل کی ۔ انہوں نے عمران خان کو طبی سہولیات فراہم کرنے اور ان کے ذاتی معالج کو رسائی دینے کا مطالبہ کیا۔ مولانا صاحب سے آئینی مسودے پر بھی تفصیلی…

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) October 13, 2024

According to Qaiser, the matter will be discussed in the party meeting, and Maulana's request will be taken into discussion.