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PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan. PHOTO: TWITTER
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday urged the government to hold “unconditional” talks with the opposition, saying there should be no conditions in the dialogue between political parties.
Addressing the media, Gohar said it was wrong to say that talks would be held only on specific issues.
“It is wrong to say that negotiations will be held on this issue, but this issue cannot be included in the negotiations,” he said.
“If you want to have dialogue, you should talk about all subjects,” he said. At the same time, the PTI chairman said that he had no authority to negotiate with the government.
He said Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas – who were recently appointed opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate respectively – had been authorized to hold talks with the government.
“I will give them my consultation if they require it,” Gohar said. He further said that if the government wanted to “shake hands” with the opposition, it should do so with both hands.
“The carrot and stick policy does not work. [Throwing] punching with one hand and extending the other doesn’t work,” he said.
Gohar also said that PTI founder Imran was facing a host of cases, adding that the former prime minister’s lawyers should be allowed to meet him.
He said a PTI delegation had held a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and highlighted the fact that meetings with Imran were not allowed.
Separately, the PTI rejected the passage of the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2026 by the National Assembly, terming it a “direct attack” on the fundamental principles of right to information, transparency and accountability.
“This bill allows parliamentarians to hide details of their assets from the public under the vague and undefined guise of ‘security concerns’, essentially providing a legal shield for the current ruling class,” the party said in a statement.
“Such laws do not strengthen democracy; instead, they weaken it and seriously undermine public confidence in government,” it said.
The PTI claimed that parties that claimed to champion democracy, transparency and parliamentary values were now legislating to “hide the ill-gotten wealth” they had accumulated through “corrupt practices and abuse of power”.
“The nation is well aware of the sources of their illicit wealth; it is the result of corruption, looting and abuse of authority,” it said.
“The public is fully informed and no law can hide the truth. This bill is a violation of public consciousness.
“These parties, which repeatedly preach accountability, good governance and democratic values, practically erect walls of immunity and protection for themselves,” it said.
The PTI argued that such laws proved that some political parties did not represent the public but their own personal and class interests, and the double standard was eroding Pakistan’s democratic system from within.
“If a Member of Parliament has genuine security concerns, the solution is not to hide assets, but for the government to ensure the protection of their lives and property,” it said.
