MINISTER for Information, Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has emphatically stated that Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure to welcome foreign delegations including 12 heads of the governments for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, scheduled for October 15-16. Talking to media on Friday, he said those who have a mindset to conspire against the country should better stay at home as no miscreant will be allowed to disrupt the important moot.
The Minister was speaking in the backdrop of a highly deplorable and strange decision taken by the political committee of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to hold a ‘massive’ protest at D-Chowk in the Federal Capital and that too on the day when the Conference is scheduled to begin i.e. on October 15. In a statement issued by the party on X, it said all organizational officials and wings from the centre to the lowest level were instructed to finalize the preparations for the D-Chowk protest. Political compulsions notwithstanding, there is zero justification for any plan or activity that could undermine core national interests or compromise national honour and prestige. Given the prevailing polarization in the country, it is next to impossible that the PTI would derive any worthwhile political benefit except raising concerns about security and peaceful atmosphere that is a must for such mega events to be attended by towering global leaders. No saner element would support such a call and instead of securing any relief, the pressure tactics being adopted by the party have the potential to increase and intensify its woes. No doubt, the PTI is claiming its protest will be ‘peaceful’ but given the track record of the party no one would take this pledge seriously. Otherwise too, the Government is not in a mood to take any risk in the backdrop of a series of terrorist attacks in the length and breadth of the country during the last few weeks including killing of Chinese engineers and an attack on convoy of foreign envoys in KP. In view of the terror threats, the Federal Government is taking necessary precautions to make security and peace of the capital foolproof during the period foreign delegates would be in Islamabad for the conference.
Apart from police and Rangers, troops have also been deployed to beef up security and that is why the Information Minister, in reference to the protest calls by the PTI, has remarked “The announcements do not make any difference as Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure”. The importance that the Government is attaching to the security of the conference can be judged by the fact that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself is taking personal interest in relevant arrangements. The Minister for Information, therefore, rightly emphasized that all the heads of governments participating in the SCO would be accorded a warm welcome in Islamabad as the whole nation is ready to celebrate the event with national pride. Apart from the event itself, there are also bilateral meetings and visits planned for the occasion, which are in line with economic and trade interests of the country. The SCO meeting is to be participated by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Iranian First Vice President Reza Aref, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and leaders from other member states. The moot will go a long way in promoting diplomatic, economic and trade interests of Pakistan and, therefore, it is the national responsibility of all parties and citizens to contribute their share in making the event a resounding success. As against this, the PTI seems to be clueless as it previously talked about inviting the Indian External Affairs Minister to address its protestors and as per media reports it was also because of its inability to give assurance for a disciplined conduct that the planned address of the Chinese PM to the session of the parliament had to be changed. We hope the PTI will immediately rescind its call and instead offer its wholehearted cooperation to the State in making the summit a smooth and orderly event.
