The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is facing internal divisions over its planned protest at D-Chowk in Islamabad on October 15, coinciding with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Key PTI leaders, including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, are among those opposing the protest, arguing it is not in Pakistan’s best interest to hold such an event during the high-profile summit, which will see numerous foreign dignitaries in attendance.
Several PTI leaders, such as Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, and Raoof Hasan, are also aligned with the faction advocating for the withdrawal of the protest call. Ali Muhammad Khan, though not part of PTI’s political committee, has expressed similar concerns, stating that the protest could harm Pakistan’s international standing during the summit.
Despite these objections, a faction led by PTI members Shehbaz Gill, Hammad Azhar, Khalid Khurshid, and Hafiz Farhat has pushed for the protest to proceed as planned. This group has reportedly convinced the party’s political committee to approve the demonstration at D-Chowk on the first day of the two-day SCO summit. The unexpected support from figures like Salman Akram Raja, a prominent lawyer, has also raised eyebrows, with some sources noting his endorsement of the protest in the Red Zone, just kilometers away from the summit’s location. Raja was unavailable for comment.
Murad Saeed, though not part of the political committee, was one of the first PTI members to announce the protest on social media. Sources within the party suggest that Gill and Azhar are using PTI’s social media platforms to target internal dissenters who oppose the protest and other decisions like boycotting the All-Parties Conference.
The opposing group within PTI fears that any unrest or clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies could jeopardize Pakistan’s image during the SCO summit and cause discomfort for the foreign guests, including heads of state and government. Multiple PTI leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that they are working to have the protest call withdrawn to prioritize the country’s interests and show respect to the visiting dignitaries.
One senior PTI figure admitted that grassroots supporters of the party are also unhappy with the timing of the protest. He warned that even if the protest sees large participation, it could still conflict with Pakistan’s broader interests.
