ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: Pakistan’s main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), called off its planned protest on Tuesday as the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) commenced under tight security in Islamabad.
The two-day summit will focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural relations, while also reviewing the Organisation’s progress. Pakistan, which assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 during the last meeting in Bishkek, is hosting the event, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presiding.
Key attendees include Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other high-ranking leaders from SCO member states.
PTI had planned to protest in the capital to demand a meeting with their jailed leader, Imran Khan, after authorities imposed restrictions on visits to inmates at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, in light of the summit. However, the protest was called off late Monday after the government assured that a medical team would be allowed to meet the 72-year-old former prime minister.
“After extensive negotiations, we decided to cancel the protest,” PTI spokesperson Zulfiqar Bukhari said, adding that political allies and foreign embassies also urged the party to reconsider.
The government had earlier warned of strict action against any demonstrations. To ensure security during the summit, around 10,000 police personnel, backed by paramilitary forces and the regular army, were deployed. Additionally, Section 144 was imposed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, banning all public gatherings. The authorities also declared three days of public holidays to minimize disruptions during the conference.
