Islamabad
\nPTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Saturday that \u201cparty consultation\u201d would decide whether the PTI would go ahead with its planned protest tomorrow after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi contacted him over the matter.
\nAccording to Radio Pakistan, the interior minister contacted the PTI MNA in light of the Islamabad High Court\u2019s (IHC) Thursday order, which had ruled the planned protest as unlawful.
\nPTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan last week issued a \u201cfinal call\u201d for a protest tomorrow, denouncing what he described as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people, and the passage of the 26th Amendment, which he said has strengthened a \u201cdictatorial regime\u201d.
\nFollowing a \u201cdetailed discussion about the current situation\u201d, Gohar said he would inform Naqvi about the PTI\u2019s final response regarding the protest \u201cafter party consultation\u201d, Radio Pakistan reported.
\nThe interior minister told Gohar about the IHC\u2019s order, stating: \u201cWe are bound by the high court\u2019s order and cannot permit any procession, sit-in or rally.\u201d
\nNaqvi also briefed the PTI leader about the engagements of an 80-member high-level delegation led by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko from November 24 to 27, the report said.
\nHe said the Belarusian president will arrive in Pakistan on Monday and the delegation will remain in Islamabad until Wednesday.
\nHearing a petition filed by Islamabad\u2019s traders, who were concerned about the potential disruption to their businesses, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had directed the government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in Islamabad, particularly as the Belarusian president is scheduled to arrive over the weekend.
\nThe court had also directed the Ministry of Interior to form a committee, preferably led by Naqvi, to engage with PTI leadership for an amicable resolution.
\nHowever, till yesterday, PTI leaders remained adamant about proceeding ahead with the power show, despite the IHC order and a ban on public gatherings in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Punjab.
\nImran\u2019s wife Bushra Bibi, relaying the jail ex-premier\u2019s message, asserted just hours after the IHC order: \u201cThe protest date could only be changed on the condition that Imran Khan is released from prison and he gives a course of action to the public.\u201d
\nShe asked the public not to believe reports of a change in protest date and to come out of their homes on Sunday to join the protest.
\nPTI leaders also seemed to differ over the status of negotiations, if any, with the government.
\nWhile PTI maverick Sher Afzal Marwat, speaking to DawnNewsTV, denied that negotiations were taking place, senior party leader Raoof Hasan told Geo News that talks were taking place \u201cat a level higher than Naqvi sahib\u201d and \u201cwith those who matter\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Saturday that \u201cparty consultation\u201d would decide whether the PTI would go ahead with its planned protest tomorrow after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi contacted him over the matter. According to Radio Pakistan, the interior minister contacted the PTI MNA in light of the Islamabad High Court\u2019s (IHC) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-445291","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n