PTI says attempts are underway to pit the largest party against a large institution

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday expressed strong disappointment over comments made a day earlier by the Pakistan Army spokesperson, calling the language “inappropriate” and detrimental to democratic norms.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Gohar said it was unfortunate for democracy for a senior official of a major institution to use such words – even indirectly – to refer to a major political party, its leaders or the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He said the statements made at the press briefing were “very disappointing” and the language used “was not appropriate.”

Gohar stressed that the PTI had no intention of escalating tensions. “This press conference is not about confrontation. But we want to make clear that some people seem to be trying to create conflict between the workers of a major political party and the staff of a major state institution. This must not happen.”

Read: Army calls Imran’s account ‘threat to national security’

Throughout the press conference, PTI leaders said they were not seeking confrontation or political instability. Gohar said: “Some people want fights. We don’t. We want dialogue, humility and space.”

Despite what he called serious allegations, Gohar said the party would not retaliate with aggression. “We are not going to answer a brick with a stone, but we have to tell the public what happened to us. »

He said the PTI believed that “all destruction begins with the utterance of a few inappropriate words”, calling for humility and space for dialogue. He added that meetings with Imran Khan were not allowed and matters relating to him were not heard. “Our narrative has shifted from ‘free Imran Khan’ to ‘allow us to meet him’.

Detailing political grievances, he said: “With 180 seats, we were forced to sit on 91. Our own seat was taken away. The founding president always said that the country is ours and the army is ours. In times of war, we have always stood with the army. After all this, we always believed that things would get better.”

“The country driven to coercion”

PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said Pakistan had repeatedly experienced “dark times” when the state resorted to coercive measures. “We were told that this country needed a stick to move forward, but we know what happened: in Karachi, bodies were found in bags.”

He said the region was marked by conflict and militarization but lacked social protection, while Pakistan constantly faced narratives that democracy was inadequate. “Every time authoritarianism has emerged, Pakistan has weakened. Where is Pakistan today?”

Raja said the world order was changing and countries were being “pressured to choose between powerful states – China on one side and the United States on the other”, although Pakistan did not benefit from such pressure. “Did Pakistan progress through coercion? The elite only got richer.”

He criticized what he described as efforts to undermine the judiciary and the legal community, highlighting the cases brought against PTI lawyers. “How can an officer replace an independent judiciary? he asked, pointing out that despite its constitution, Pakistan had been left behind.

Read also: Tarar rules out negotiations with PTI, no dialogue unless they apologize

Raja said the Supreme Court had given reserved seats to the PTI, but “it was later transformed into a district court”. He wondered if this was the purpose for which Pakistan was created. “Quaid-e-Azam always told military leaders not to get involved in politics. »

He said the PTI’s demands had changed from demanding Imran Khan’s release to just seeking permission for a meeting. “If this continues, democracy will be ruined. »

“KP feels insulted”

Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser rejected any portrayal of Khan as a security threat. “If anyone says Imran Khan’s name will be cleared or he is a security risk, I condemn it,” he said.

He said the military spokesperson’s remarks had caused deep resentment within the KP. “We will demand that these remarks be withdrawn. The entire province feels insulted.”

Qaiser said he had taught many students currently serving in the armed forces and other institutions, emphasizing that the PTI wanted to see a strong army. “Soldiers and police officers are martyred daily. We do not want chaos. Our demand is democracy.”

He said PTI leaders continued to face imprisonment. “Sixty-four thousand FIRs registered and thirty-four thousand arrests,” he said, adding that the party’s seats had been “given to another party”. Criticizing restrictions on meetings with PTI leaders, he said: “Those who say meetings will not be allowed – who are you? The people have rejected you.”

Read: The government extends its offer of dialogue to the PTI

Qaiser demanded the immediate release of Imran Khan and other detained leaders and criticized the constitutional amendments which he said had “paralyzed the courts”. He confirmed that the opposition alliance had agreed to convene a national conference.

Raja said Pakistan could progress only if the voice of the people was echoed in Parliament. “We are not here to respond to yesterday’s press conference. We will not respond in kind,” he said.

Qaiser added that the PTI remained the largest political force in the country and essential for national progress. “Without us, no challenge can be overcome. The institutions and the population must move forward together. We do not want unrest in the country.”