Pakistan's Political Clash: SCO Summit Under Threat

Pakistan's Deputy PM Ishaq Dar urges PTI to halt its planned October 15 protest, coinciding with the SCO meeting in Islamabad. The protest led to a postponement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit. Dar emphasizes the protest's negative impact on international relations while PTI insists on demonstrating against government actions.

In a recent development, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to call off its planned protest on October 15, citing the "larger national interest" amidst preparations for the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad.

Dar's appeal came after PTI's announcement of a protest at Islamabad's D-Chowk, aligning with the start of the SCO Summit. The protest forced the postponement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit. Dar criticized PTI for repeating past protest tactics that target state institutions and urged the party to reconsider its stance. Several bilateral meetings on the SCO sidelines have been confirmed, he noted.

Geo News reported that the SCO meeting will not include Afghanistan, whose observer status has been virtually suspended since 2021. Dar highlighted ongoing discussions on regional connectivity and peace, a priority for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership. Meanwhile, PTI demands the release of detained members and criticizes the government's actions as oppressive.

(With inputs from agencies.)