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Gohar Ali Khan, President of PTI. PHOTO: EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI:
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Chairman of PTI, said that any official announcement regarding any protest movement against the government or any meeting with it would be made by the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate – Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
“Achakzai, along with Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, have been given the mandate to decide on protest and negotiation strategies,” Gohar said on Tuesday while addressing the media outside Adiala jail, where PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are being held.
“The party urged both leaders to use all available policy options,” he added.
Achakzai and Abbas, elected to key positions with the support of the PTI after the disqualification of their predecessors, lead the PkMAP and MWM parties respectively.
Gohar rejected the impression that the internal problems were caused by the PTI founder’s sisters, saying the party had never blamed any difficulties on them.
He said the sisters had already made it clear they would not name anyone after meeting with their imprisoned brother, and urged authorities to allow a meeting. “You should at least test this once and have the meeting,” he remarked.
Expressing frustration, Gohar said PTI leaders had visited the jail several times but returned without meeting Imran Khan.
“At a time when prisoners around the world are allowed to meet their loved ones, refusing a meeting is a criminal act,” he said, warning that blocking access and closing doors would not improve the situation but could instead lead to further deterioration.
He also touched on the broader security environment, saying Pakistan must address threats emanating from Afghanistan to combat terrorism.
“Wherever there are threats to Pakistan, the country has the right to eliminate them,” he said, adding that the armed forces act responsibly in such matters.
Meanwhile, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja also said that Achakzai and Abbas were allowed both resistance and negotiations.
“All steps will be carefully considered and the party will act wisely and strategically,” he said, assuring his supporters that all decisions would be made in accordance with national interests.
Raja reiterated that the health and release of Imran Khan remained the party’s top priority, while also emphasizing the importance of Pakistan’s stability and integrity. He condemned Israel and the United States’ aggression against Iran, saying the PTI opposed such actions.
Earlier in the day, none of the PTI leaders or their family members were allowed to meet Imran Khan or his wife Bushra Bibi, despite it being a designated meeting day.
However, according to prison sources, a meeting between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi took place in the prison conference room, where health and other issues were discussed.
Frustrated by the denial of access, Imran Khan’s sisters – Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi – staged a protest on Adiala Road.
Party members also gathered at the site, where arrangements for iftar were made. After registering their protest and breaking the fast, the family members and their supporters dispersed peacefully.
