By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: As political tensions in the country reached a boiling point following a scathing military press conference aimed at former Prime Minister Imran Khan, lawmakers from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party gathered on Monday to declare that sidelining their imprisoned leader would only erode the nation’s fragile political framework.
The joint parliamentary party meeting, held in the federal capital, brought together PTI representatives from both houses of Parliament to address the escalating crisis, including an informal ban on visits with Khan, who has been detained since 2023 on charges his supporters call politically motivated. The session highlighted the deepening rift between the opposition and the government, amid accusations of undue military influence in civilian affairs.
Among those in attendance were PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Barrister Ali Zafar, Ali Muhammad Khan and MNA Shahid Kattak. Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the leader of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and PTI’s nominee for the opposition leader position in the National Assembly, also joined the discussions, signalling a broadening alliance against the current administration.
Barrister Zafar sad the lawmakers rejected the government’s portrayal of Khan as a security risk, a claim echoed by the military’s spokesperson. “Khan sahab is essential for Pakistan’s stability, democracy, and future,” Zafar said. “His continued exclusion only weakens the political system and deepens national uncertainty.”
He emphasised the opposition’s unity on the matter. “We will use every constitutional, legal and parliamentary forum to secure the release of our leader,” Zafar added. “The entire parliamentary party stands firmly behind Imran Khan.”
The meeting also focused on demands for unrestricted access to Khan in jail, with participants arguing that denying elected officials the right to consult their party founder violated basic democratic principles. “Denying elected representatives and their right to meet their leader was unconstitutional, undemocratic and unacceptable,” Zafar said. The discussion extended to the treatment of Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who has been held in isolation. “The solitary confinement and isolation of Bushra Bibi is a grave injustice,” Zafar said. “Subjecting a woman who has no political role to mental torture violates fundamental human rights and goes against our cultural and moral values. Such treatment is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”
Zafar affirmed the PTI parliamentary party’s commitment to sustaining the broader push for reform. “The party will continue leading the democratic and constitutional struggle for justice, political freedom, and the restoration of the people’s mandate,” he said, positioning the lawmakers as a central force in the ongoing movement.
National Assembly
The speaker of the National Assembly on Monday extended an olive branch, offering once again to mediate between the ruling coalition and PTI party, in a bid to avert a boycott of parliamentary proceedings.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker, responded to concerns voiced by Barrister Gohar Khan, the interim chairman of the PTI, emphasising that dialogue remained the sole path to resolution. He urged the opposition to deliberate on his proposal and pledged to approach the government with a similar appeal. “What can be achieved by criticising the institutions,” Sadiq said. “The army not only defends the borders but also fights terrorism in the country.”
He acknowledged that his prior attempts to bridge the divide between the government and opposition had fallen short, but affirmed his willingness to step in anew. The exchange unfolded following mounting friction, triggered in part by a press conference last Friday from the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who sharply criticised Imran Khan, the PTI’s founder and former Prime Minister, who remains imprisoned. General Chaudhry accused Mr. Khan of fomenting a narrative hostile to the armed forces and directed disparaging remarks at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, a PTI ally. The comments prompted the party to demand an apology from the military spokesperson.
Speaking earlier in the assembly, Barrister Gohar warned that persistent pressures could render it untenable for his party to participate in sessions. He categorically rejected any notion of a “minus-one formula” — a reference to sidelining Khan — declaring that such a move would prompt mass resignations from PTI lawmakers. The PTI leader painted a stark picture of external forces exploiting internal discord. He said the enemies of Pakistan and its democracy sought a clash between “titans and gladiators,” adding that the nation’s adversaries would gain if a leading political party squared off against a state institution.
“It will be very unfortunate if the ongoing tensions in the country is not defused,” Barrister Gohar said. “There should be tolerance and not anarchy in politics.” He noted that unease had gripped the country since the military spokesman’s briefing, which he described, without naming the official, as deeply disappointing.
Barrister Gohar expressed dismay at portrayals of Khan as a national security risk, calling it unforeseen. “Press conferences are not addressed like this,” he said. Insisting that Khan represented a bulwark for democratic continuity rather than a peril, Barrister Gohar reiterated demands for his release. He highlighted a recent prohibition on meetings with the PTI founder, exacerbating the impasse. “We never desire that infighting in the country starts after Pakistan’s victory against a hostile neighbour,” he added, imploring the speaker and the parliament to intervene and ease the strain.
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