New Delhi: Leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), jailed former prime minister’s party Imran Khanfor advising Foreign Minister S Jaishankar should join PTIongoing protests.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Mohammad Ali Saif commented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincetriggering sharp criticism from Pakistan’s ruling coalition on Saturday.
Jaishankar is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of Government (SCO-CHG) meeting in Pakistan from October 15 to 16.
Replying to a question during an appearance on Geo News on Friday, Saif said: “The Press Trust of India will invite Jaishankar to join us in our protest to see that Pakistan is a strong democracy and everyone has the right to protest.
His comments were strongly condemned by government ministers. Attaullah Tarar, federal information minister and leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) called the remarks “extremely irresponsible” and accused PTI of showing “hostility towards Pakistan”.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh Information Minister Sarjeel Memon criticized PTI, saying, “Today PTI invites Jaishankar, tomorrow they will call the Israeli Prime Minister. The party is anti-Pakistan and aims to undermine SCO Summit””.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also expressed these concerns and said the invitation cast doubt on PTI’s credibility.
In response to the backlash, Saif later claimed his remarks were taken out of context.
The PTI has been staging protests demanding compliance with the constitution, an independent judiciary, action to combat inflation and the release of its leader Imran Khan.
Khan, 72, has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since his arrest on August 5, 2023, and faces multiple legal cases.
As tensions escalate, pakistan army has been deployed in Islamabad to ensure security ahead of the PTI planned protest at D-Chowk. The troops will remain in the capital until October 17, during the SCO summit.
The government blocked major highways, suspended mobile services and imposed Section 144 to prevent public gatherings and demonstrations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
