Government Vows to Use “Full Force” to Stop PTI’s October 15 Protest Amid SCO Summit

ISLAMABAD: The government has pledged to use all its resources to prevent the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from holding a planned protest in Islamabad on October 15, which coincides with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Speaking to the media in Sialkot on Saturday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned PTI’s protest call, labeling it “an attack on the integrity of the country.” He emphasized that the state would not allow anyone to harm the nation’s reputation during the high-profile international event.

“The state will use all of its power and resources to prevent the invasion of Islamabad,” Asif warned, as the federal capital prepares to host the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government meeting from October 15 to 16.

This would be PTI’s second protest in a month. The previous demonstration, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, resulted in violent clashes and damages worth Rs240 million to public and private property, according to a report from the Islamabad Inspector General’s office. The party claimed the protest was in defense of judicial independence and the release of its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.

Asif accused PTI of attempting to replicate the May 9 riots, during which military installations were attacked, and of trying to obstruct the country’s progress. He called on the judiciary to take notice of PTI’s actions, stating that the courts’ response would “determine their role in history.”

The government’s firm stance sets the stage for a potentially volatile situation in Islamabad as the city gears up for the SCO summit.