PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Saturday that “party consultation” would decide whether the PTI would go ahead with its planned protest tomorrow after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi contacted him over the matter.
According to Radio Pakistan, the interior minister contacted the PTI MNA in light of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Thursday order, which had ruled the protest as “unlawful”.
PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan last week issued a “final call” for a protest tomorrow, denouncing what he described as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people, and the passage of the 26th Amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
Following a “detailed discussion about the current situation”, Gohar said he would inform Naqvi about the PTI’s final response regarding the protest “after party consultation”, Radio Pakistan reported.
The interior minister told Gohar about the IHC’s order, stating: “We are bound by the high court’s order and cannot permit any procession, sit-in or rally.”
Naqvi also briefed the PTI leader about the engagements of an 80-member high-level delegation led by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko from November 24 to 27, the report said.
He said the Belarusian president will arrive in Pakistan on Monday and the delegation will remain in Islamabad until Wednesday.
Hearing a petition filed by Islamabad’s traders, who were concerned about the potential disruption to their businesses, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had directed the government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in Islamabad, particularly as the Belarusian president is scheduled to arrive over the weekend.
The court had also directed the Ministry of Interior to form a committee, preferably led by Naqvi, to engage with PTI leadership for an amicable resolution.
However, till yesterday, PTI leaders remained adamant about proceeding ahead with the power show, despite the IHC order and a ban on public gatherings in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Punjab.
PTI leaders also seemed to differ over the status of negotiations, if any, with the government.
While PTI maverick Sher Afzal Marwat, speaking to DawnNewsTV, denied that negotiations were taking place, senior party leader Raoof Hasan told Geo News that talks were taking place “at a level higher than Naqvi sahib” and “with those who matter”.
More to follow
