Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Salman Akram Raja refused to recognize lawyer Gohar Ali Khan as PTI chairman, stating that the party chairman was “Imran Khan and no one else”.
His remarks came at a press conference at Rawalpindi’s Gorakhpur checkpoint on Tuesday, a day set aside for meetings with the PTI founder at Adiala jail.
PTI workers started gathering at the checkpoint amid heavy police deployment. Roads leading to Adiala prison were blocked and checkpoints were established at five locations.
Responding to a reporter’s question on why lawyer Gohar had been effectively sidelined in practice and who would be the new president, Raja said the party president was “Imran Khan and no one else”. He added that the treatment meted out to the PTI by the Election Commission amounted to “rules of coercion”.
On the other hand, PTI Chairman Brrister Gohar Ali Khan announced plans for February 8, a nationwide shutdown and wheel lock strike, with protests across the country. He said meetings between the PTI founder, his sisters and his lawyers were essential to normalize the situation.
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Lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, president of PTI, arrived at the Dahgal checkpoint on Adiala Road and addressed the media, saying that if the idea of negotiations had been reduced to a meeting of “five elders”, it should not be considered negotiations at all. “Five elders cannot come together either, nor is there any need,” he said, wondering how talks could proceed if meetings were not allowed.
Gohar said PTI leaders came every Tuesday but returned without any meeting, adding that for over a month no one had been allowed to meet the party founder. “By making meetings controversial, how will things move forward?” he asked.
Clarifying the comments attributed to him about “begging”, he considered that his remarks had been distorted. He explained that despite court orders, standard operating procedures and laws, meetings were still not permitted. “If meetings are denied even after court order, it amounts to begging,” he said, adding that the system was stagnating for the PTI and since February last year, the leadership had not been able to meet the party founder.
The last person to meet Khan was his sister, Dr Uzma Khanum, on December 2. The meeting, held in a special room, lasted 37 minutes. Speaking to reporters outside the facility, she said the interaction went well and reassured her supporters of his condition, confirming that the former prime minister was in good health. “Alhamdulillah, his condition is fine and he is making a full recovery,” she said, offering a rare update amid ongoing concerns about his well-being.
Gohar said a heavy price was being exacted to normalize the situation, adding that while the PTI was trying to make things better, the other side was making equal efforts to make them worse. He said the greatest strength of the PTI founder and the party lay in its workers, who endured severe hardships imposed by the state.
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Gohar said he received a call from Imran Ismail and informed him that the PTI would not attend his conference, adding that the party had reservations on the matter. He said he had not commented publicly on internal party matters.
Nearly ten days ago, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an olive branch to the PTI for political dialogue. The process now appears to have slowed from the start, with the federal government yet to make formal contact with the opposition alliance on the timetable and framework of the talks, casting a shadow over the seriousness of the outreach. Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aeen Pakistan (TTAP) formally accepted the Prime Minister’s offer on December 24, demonstrating its willingness to engage in dialogue without preconditions. However, no follow-up engagement has taken place so far, leaving the process stuck at the declarative stage.
Salman Akram Raja, speaking to the media, was asked why Aleema Khan, despite not holding any official position in the party, was considered responsible by senior party leaders. Raja rejected the premise of the question, asking who had claimed she was responsible, and said the claim was “completely false.”
In response to a question on Aleema Khan’s reported statement that negotiations would not take place, Raja said the decision was not his but an order from Imran Khan.
Gohar said there was no disagreement over the founder’s instructions regarding the street movement and no party committee could ignore these directives. “Protest is our right and the party has a clear action plan,” he said, adding that the PTI never called off the talks but questioned the logic of involving “five elders”.
He said the Speaker had indicated a decision on the notifications by the next session and expressed hope that the notifications from the opposition leaders would be issued before then. He added that the PTI expected the Pakistan People’s Party to allow a public rally in Sindh and supported granting a full protocol to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Gohar said Senator Ali Zafar enjoyed the trust of the PTI founder, while Abro was expelled from the party. He concluded by asserting that the PTI would never sabotage any process and would remain in office as long as it retained the trust of the founder.
Afridi announced on January 2 that he would carry out his street campaign in Karachi on January 9 to mobilize the party’s supporters and convey Khan’s message. Days after concluding an eventful three-day visit to Lahore aimed at launching the PTI street movement, Afridi wrote on X: “Friday January 9! Karachi, Sindh, are you ready?
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The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister said he would visit Karachi “carrying Imran Khan’s message” and meet “all friends of the party”.
His announcement followed a turbulent visit to Lahore, during which he attempted to address supporters at Liberty Chowk, but was unable to do so after police cordoned off all access roads by setting up pickets. During the same visit, Afridi addressed PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, an appearance marked by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials. Several heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also observed.
He was barred from entering the cantonment area to meet party leaders and was also barred from going to Catering Street, which had been closed before his arrival. Afridi then visited Zaman Park amid heavy police deployment, while there were also reports of PTI supporters being arrested during the tour.
On Monday, Afridi formally complained to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, objecting to the treatment he received during his visit to Lahore. In his letter, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister said the Punjab government’s adoption of an extraordinary and excessive security posture, including mass detentions and visible theatrics, was “a message of intimidation rather than cooperation”.
The allotted time to meet the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder at Adiala jail has ended, with no permission given to his sisters or any party leader to meet him. However, the PTI founder’s three sisters, along with party activists, continue to stage a sit-in at the Naka factory.
Among those present at the protest were Salman Akram Raja, Aun Abbas Bappi, Shandana Gulzar, Naim Panjutha, Meena Khan Afridi and Shaukat Basra.
Aleema Khan arrived at the Gorakhpur checkpoint earlier today, heading towards the factory checkpoint.
Aleema said the recitation of the Holy Quran was delayed because the roads were blocked. “Checkpoints have been set up everywhere. Wherever people are stopped, they recite the Quran,” she said.
She alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan was kept in solitary confinement, adding that his isolation demonstrated fear. “What will they gain by keeping him in prison? The continued solitary confinement is a clear indication that they are afraid of him,” she said.
Aleema said Khan wanted to talk about people’s freedom. She claimed the country’s economy was ruined and urged police personnel to show compassion to workers but not follow illegal orders. She said the country was not being managed properly and people had become frustrated. “We come to meet him, but the meetings are not facilitated,” she added, saying the media was avoiding even mentioning the PTI founder while covering international leaders.
The sit-in led by Aleema continues at the factory checkpoint on Adiala Road, Rawalpindi. The PTI founder’s two other sisters, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, are also present. The valve of a tanker truck parked at the site was opened, causing water to spill out and soaking the area where protesters were sitting. After the incident, the participants moved to another location. The police then removed the tanker from the protest site.
