PTI’s 24th November Islamabad Protest: Concerns Over Limited Support from Balochistan

Quetta:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is gearing up for a major protest rally in Islamabad on November 24, following a call from party chairman Imran Khan. PTI has instructed its supporters across the country to converge in the federal capital, with provincial and national assembly members from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa given the task of gathering between 5,000 to 10,000 workers each for the event.

Preparations for the protest are underway in various provinces, including Balochistan, where PTI has made arrangements to ensure significant participation. According to Dawood Kakhar, the provincial president of PTI Balochistan, the party has directed local office-bearers to mobilize as many workers as possible. Kakhar stated that over 1,800 PTI supporters from Balochistan have already arrived in Islamabad for the rally, with the expectation that more than 10,000 workers from the province will join the protest.

However, political analysts caution that PTI’s support in Balochistan remains limited compared to other provinces. While the party secured a few seats in the 2018 elections, it has struggled to establish a strong foothold in the province, where politics is heavily influenced by tribal dynamics and the dominance of nationalist and religious parties. These parties hold more sway over local issues than national parties like PTI.

Experts also argue that Imran Khan’s party has failed to give adequate attention to Balochistan, which has led to less enthusiasm for PTI among the province’s youth. This lack of outreach was evident during the violent protests across Pakistan on May 9, where Balochistan saw comparatively fewer incidents of unrest.

Despite these challenges, PTI remains hopeful of drawing significant numbers to the Islamabad protest, but analysts suggest that the party’s representation from Balochistan may not be as robust as in other regions. The rally will be a key moment to gauge the party’s national support base and its ability to mobilize outside its traditional strongholds.