On PTI’s request: Govt may allow Gohar, Hamid to meet Imran

ISLAMABAD: Following some backchannel contacts, the government may accept Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s request for allowing him and Hamid Raza to meet Imran Khan on Monday for withdrawal of a call by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for protest at D-Chowk on October 15, it is learnt.

Amid mounting pressure to cancel its planned protest at D-Chowk on the opening day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit here, the PTI submitted a written request to the Ministry of Interior on Saturday to allow a meeting with the party’s founder.

A written request has been submitted by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to the Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi three days ahead of the party’s announced protest at D-Chowk while it continues to face internal rift over the matter besides criticism from the government and its allies.

Bearing the date of October 12, the application, a copy of which is available with The News, reads, “It is to invite your attention to the subject matter that last time Imran Khan was visited by our lawyers in Adiala Jail was October 3, 2024. Since then, no one has been allowed to visit Imran Khan. There is grave concern amongst the political leadership and workers of PTI about health concern and wellbeing of Imran Khan”.

He wrote that since no meeting has taken place with Imran Khan, the concern is growing day by day. “Therefore, we would request to kindly grant me (Barrister Gohar Khan) and Hamid Raza who is also Member of National Assembly, permission to visit Imran Khan on urgent basis. We shall request for such meeting on Sunday, October 13, 2024,” the application reads.

PTI’s allies like Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen chief Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jaffari and the Sunni Ittehad Council Sahibzada Hamid Raza have not issued any formal statement of support to the planned protest.

On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has made an appeal to the PTI to postpone the October 15 protest in the context of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.