Imran Khan’s party calls off protest in Pakistan ahead of SCO summit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s main opposition called off its protest on Tuesday as the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation begins here under tight security.

The two-day meeting will discuss ongoing cooperation in fields of economy, trade, environment and socio-cultural linkages and review the performance of the Organisation.

Pakistan assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, for 2023-24 at the previous meeting, held in Bishkek in October 2023. The CHG meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are participating.

The threat of unrest was avoided when the Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf last night agreed to call off its protest in the capital after the assurance by the government that a medical team would be allowed to meet its jailed leader 72-year-old Imran Khan.

It has announced a protest to force the government to allow a meeting with Khan in jail after authorities stopped all kinds of meetings with inmates in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, including Khan, ahead of the SCO meeting.

However, the issue was resolved late Monday night when the PTI accepted assurance by the government that a doctor would be allowed to see Khan on Tuesday.

“After long consideration and negotiations that went back and forth..., we decided to call off the protest,” Khan’s international spokesman Zulfiqar Bukhari said in a WhatsApp voice message.

He also said that the PTI was also urged by its political allies and friendly embassies to postpone the protest.

He, however, defended the right to protest on the occasion of an international event which he said was an international norm as all over the world protests are held on such occasions.

Earlier, the government had warned to deal with any kind of protest with an iron hand.

Elaborate security measures have been taken and about 10,000 police personnel deployed who have the support of paramilitary rangers and regular army troops.

The government announced three-day official leave in the capital and neighbouring Rawalpindi to avoid unnecessary hassle during the conference.

Section 144 has also been imposed in the twin cities to outlaw all gatherings.