ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Khan on Wednesday said his party had taken a “principled stand” on national security and demanded that briefings be held in Parliament.
The federal government decided on Tuesday to hold a closed-door briefing for political party leaders and parliamentary leaders on the rapidly evolving regional security situation, including recent developments involving Iran and ongoing tensions with Afghanistan.
However, the PTI said it would boycott the briefing unless family and lawyer meetings with party founder Imran Khan were allowed immediately, as per court orders.
Speaking to the media in Parliament on Wednesday, Gohar said the PTI had requested a comprehensive briefing on regional tensions, including Afghanistan and the Iran-US standoff, but he questioned how long his party could continue attending joint sessions when, he claimed, its parliamentary presence was not recognized.
“When we are not given importance and our presence in Parliament is not recognized, why should we attend [the session]?,” he asked.
He said authorities were not allowing meetings with the PTI founder, nor providing access to his family members or personal doctors. “Your attitude is extremely harsh, and then you expect us to sit down with you for a photo shoot. That’s not going to happen,” he said.
Gohar said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had approached him a day earlier and conveyed a message to attend the Prime Minister’s briefing.
He expressed gratitude to the JUI-F chief for his outreach, calling his opinion respectable, but added that the issue was referred to the party’s political committee due to reservations.
He maintained that the PTI had always supported the country on national security issues, be it during tensions with India, Afghanistan or during the conflict between Iran and the United States. “Our statements are recorded,” he said.
