PTI Holding Protests To Sabotage SCO Summit In Islamabad: Pak minister Naqvi

Representative Image (Reuters)

Pakistan Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi has said that Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is holding protests only to sabotage the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Geo News reported.

Notably, the SCO Summit is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on October 15-16.

While talking to journalists, the interior minister said: "Protesters wanted to stage sit-in till SCO summit after reaching D-Chowk."

The interior minister said that they have launched investigation into alleged the involvement of KP police in the "Islamabad attack", according to Geo News.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday termed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) protest as an attempt to harm Pakistan's reputation at the global level.

According to ARY News, Dar, in a statement, said that the protest was launched at a time when Pakistan is going to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad and that the objective of the protest is to create chaos in the country and sabotage Pakistan's diplomatic efforts at the SCO's summit.

Dar said that the PTI's invitation to a foreign minister of a neighbouring country to participate in its protest is a political gimmick by its leadership inflicting damage to the national stature.

Dar said that it is the right time to put greater national interests ahead of small-scale political ones and to resolve the country's stability, leading it to its real destination.

"The eyes of the world are currently on Pakistan and we need to show unity instead of differences," ARY News quoted Dar as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is working on an "anti-state" agenda and condemned the protests led by the party in the province.

According to ARY News, Governor Kundi said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is working on an 'anti-state' agenda and claimed that a PTI leader invited a foreign minister of a neighbouring country to destabilise Pakistan. The governor also criticised the party leader's statement inviting foreign ministers.

He also condemned PTI's protests, saying that the party wants to create chaos and anarchy in the country. Kundi said that PTI's planned D-Chowk rally will not be allowed to harm national interests, emphasising the need to maintain law and order.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) has been staging protests against the government in Islamabad and Lahore. PTI gave a fresh call for nationwide protests on October 1, starting in Islamabad, to ensure the independence of the judiciary.