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PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan. PHOTO: EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI:
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that any formal announcement of any protest movement against the government or talks with it will be given by opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate – Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas
“Achakzai along with Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has been mandated to decide on protest and negotiation strategies,” Gohar said on Tuesday while addressing the media outside the Adiala jail where PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are being held.
“The party has urged both leaders to use all available political options,” he added.
Achakzai and Abbas, elected to the key posts with PTI support after the disqualification of their predecessors, head the PkMAP and MWM parties respectively.
Rejecting the impression that internal problems were caused by the PTI founder’s sisters, Gohar said the party had never blamed them for problems.
He said the sisters had already clarified that they would not name anyone after meeting their jailed brother, and urged authorities to allow a meeting. “You should at least test this once and set up the meeting,” he remarked.
Expressing frustration, Gohar said PTI leaders had repeatedly visited the jail but returned without meeting Imran Khan.
“On a day when prisoners around the world are allowed to meet their loved ones, it is a criminal act to deny a meeting,” 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 that Pakistan must address threats from Afghanistan to curb terrorism.
“Wherever threats against Pakistan exist, it is the country’s right to eliminate them,” he said, adding that the armed forces act responsibly in such matters.
Meanwhile, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja also stated that Achakzai and Abbas have been cleared for both opposition and negotiations.
“All steps will be carefully thought out and the party will act with wisdom and strategy,” he said, assuring supporters that all decisions would be taken in accordance with national interests.
Raja reiterated that Imran Khan’s health and release remained the party’s top priority, while stressing the importance of Pakistan’s stability and integrity. He condemned Israel and US aggression against Iran and said PTI opposed such actions.
Earlier in the day, none of the PTI leaders or family members were allowed to meet Imran Khan or his wife Bushra Bibi despite it being a designated meeting day.
However, according to jail sources, a meeting between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi took place inside the jail’s meeting room where health and other issues were discussed.
Frustrated by the denial of entry, Imran Khan’s sisters – Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi – staged a protest on Adiala Road.
Party workers also gathered at the venue where iftar was arranged. After recording their protest and breaking the fast, the family members and supporters dispersed peacefully.
