By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) postponed its planned protest in a high-security area of Islamabad on Tuesday after the government assured medical access to its jailed leader, Imran Khan.
“The federal government has officially contacted us and assured us that doctors will be sent to Adiala Jail tomorrow morning while restoring Imran Khan’s access to doctors,” the PTI said in a statement. “On this guarantee given by the federal government, the PTI leadership has decided to postpone tomorrow’s peaceful protest in Islamabad.”
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the decision, citing the government’s guarantee. “The interior minister has given us an assurance that a doctor will definitely meet Imran tomorrow,” he said in a video message. “Imran Khan’s health was the top priority for every party worker and official.”
The PTI had demanded access for party leaders and family members to Khan, jailed since Oct 3. Concerns over Khan’s health prompted the protest call, which drew criticism from the government and its allies.
The PTI last week called a protest in Islamabad’s D-Chowk on the eve of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The government deployed over 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the SCO summit, which begins on Tuesday.
The summit brings together leaders from eight countries, including Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The PTI chairman also said that the party’s allies had requested to postpone the protest. “PTI’s political committee unanimously accepted the offer and announced postponing the protest call.”
A team of doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) will examine Khan at Adiala Jail on Tuesday, along with his private physician.
Pakistan hosts the SCO summit, marking the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister in nearly a decade.
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