Rawalpindi:
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that rising tensions with Afghanistan could increase the threat of terrorism. He has put stress on finding a political, not a military solution to the question.
“Imran said PTI is strongly condemning all forms of terrorism, but believes the solution is in political dialogue. Military strikes in Afghanistan could lead to increased terrorist activity in Pakistan,” said PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan after meeting with the PTI founder in Adiala prison on Tuesday.
Gohar spoke with the media outside the prison facility with Senator Ali Zafar and lawyer Muhammad Ali Saif. Previously, the PTI leaders met with the party’s founder during the consultation of the Toshakhana-II case, whose procedure was also held in a courtroom in prison.
According to the PTI chairman, Imran said, “The army is ours and the martyrs are ours. The blood of ordinary citizens must not be shed, but the end of terrorism must come through political means.”
Imran referred to the ongoing tensions with neighboring Afghanistan, which on Saturday attacked the Pakistani army’s control posts along the entire western border.
The army retired and later killed about 200 Taliban and Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan operators. Twenty -three Pakistani soldiers also embraced martyrdom in the exchange of fire.
The PTI founder, the leaders said, said he has no animosity with the military and noted that many members of his family serve in the armed forces. “Distribution certificates for treason must stop,” IMRAN was quoted as saying.
Barrister Saif added that Imran Khan also condemned violence against Tehreek-E-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leaders and workers and urged peaceful protest against such events.
Punjab authorities on Monday broke down on a TLP Protestmarsch in Murideke. According to the Punjab police, five people, including three TLP workers and a policeman, were killed in the crash.
The leader said it was their first meeting with the party’s founder after the change of Chief Minister in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where PTI is in power.
They added that Imran Khan thanked all MPAs for choosing his new choice, Sohail Afridi, as the new cm and also praised the former cm Ali Amin Gandapur for his leadership.
According to them, Imran Khan declared that the government belongs to those who have the public mandate and expressed hope that the subject issue in KP would be resolved smoothly.
Imran also congratulated all party officers and emphasized that the one he nominates becomes the minister of chief as KP remains PTI’s political fortress.
During the media interaction, a journalist Gohar asked Ali Khan about the disagreement between PTI and the military when both insisted on implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) – adopted after the December 2014 attack on Army Public School in Peshawar.
Gohar replied that “people” created confusion without reading NAP, and clarified that PTI’s press release from the January parties conference also mentioned naps and targeted operations.
He also reminded journalists that Imran Khan himself had signed the original nap, stressed that PTI is looking for unity, not confrontation.
In a speech with the media near Adiala Prison, Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, said PTI is a major political party with workers across the country. She said that a new political reality has emerged after February 8, 2024 parliamentary elections, and “Everyone recognizes it now.”
Aleema revealed that Imran Khan had repeatedly advised the former KP cm Ali Amin Gandapur on a particular case, but it was not implemented.
She quoted Imran Khan as saying that Pakistan should hold conversations with Afghanistan instead of launching military operations. “Imran Khan is considered a great leader all over the world – maybe you’re not aware of it,” she told journalists. “Recognize and respect such a great leader,” she added.
