Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) has declared that it will not support any terror visits unless it has public approval, arguing that national security decisions must be made through consensus.

The party also accused the government of imposing a “civil martial art”, suppressing dissent and failing to tackle rising terrorism effectively.

When he spoke at a press conference on Monday, PTI -Information Secretary Sheikh Waqa’s Acram said that the current administration is attenuating opposition votes and making arbitrary arrests. He criticized the handling of security issues and said that military operations require the public’s confidence to be successful.

“Decisions cannot be imposed through power. If the people do not support an anti-terror operation, also will not PTI,” said Akram.

He compared the current situation with previous security efforts, such as the SWAT operation, which was discussed in parliament before he was implemented.

He also claimed that Pakistan’s security situation has worsened since 2022 with an increase in terrorist incidents.

According to him, a major reason for this is the extended gap between the public and the state. “Terrorists know that the nation is shared and does not stand with the government,” he said, adding that unity between the public and state institutions was crucial to fighting threats.

Akram accused the government of driving the country through power rather than democratic means and said that Pakistan was effectively under “civil martial arts.” He claimed that anyone who spoke against the administration was silent, including PTI members and social media activists.

“This is not Pakistan from Quaid-e-Azam. People are abducted to express their opinions. If someone has committed a crime, you should prosecute them in court, not through kidnappings,” he said.

He referred to the recent disappearance of social media activist Haider Saeed and claimed he was taken away without a proper process. “Haider is not even officially part of PTI’s social media team, yet he has been picked up. If he has done something wrong, you must present him to a court instead of abducting him,” he demanded.

The PTI leader also claimed that several other social media workers have been arrested and that their accounts were shut down. “Five of our social media workers are in custody, but no one has been presented to a judge. This government has transformed the justice system into a joke,” he added.

On the political front, Akram revealed that PTI was actively working to form an opposition alliance. He said the party is aiming to launch nationwide protests against the government shortly after Eid.

“We are in contact with other opposition leaders, and our goal is to unite against this oppression,” he said.

He confirmed that PTI has already held conversations with Jamat Disadvantaged Disposal (Jui-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and now it’s only a meeting with PTI founding chairman Imran Khan is expected. “When we finish cases with Imran Khan, we will move on with a common strategy,” he said.

With regard to PTI’s participation in an upcoming security briefing in the camera, Akram said the party’s leadership would soon decide. “Since it relates to national security, we can participate, but a final decision will be made after internal discussions,” he added.

To end his remarks warned the government against deciding through power and said that only democratic consensus and legally proper process can tackle both security and political crises in the country.