Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) President Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party is considering whether he should boycott the parliament or start a political movement after several senior leaders were sentenced in May 9th cases on Thursday, Express News reported.
Gohar, Junaid Akbar Khan, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and others, spoke at an emergency press conference with Asad Qaiser, described the day as a sad for democracy. “Our mandate was stolen, our manager imprisoned, and the justice doors closed for us,” he said.
Gohar said PTI still believes in democratic and constitutional politics and not confrontation. However, he suggested that the party may soon be forced to decide between parliamentary boycott or launch a mass movement.
“The final decision will be made by our management very soon, and we will present this case before Imran Khan,” he said.
چیئرital پاکان حریک انصاف یرٹر گili pic.twitter.com/6ueo5ytj1a
– Barrister Gohar Khan (@barristergohar) 31 July 2025
When two parties are in conflict, all eyes turn to the judiciary. We only seek justice, ”he maintained and called for reason and justice.
Gohar accused the authorities of targeting PTI through “merciless injustice and unlike treatment.” He said six MNAs, three MPAs, a senator and opposition leaders for both the National Assembly and the Senate have been handed down judgments.
He added that even leaders like Sunni Itthad Council leader Hamid Raza and PTI’s Zartaj Yellow had been appointed. “We tried our best to keep democracy going, to keep parliament function, but oppression and discrimination have not stopped,” he said.
Read more: ATC Hands Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Top PTI leaders 10 years in prison
Gohar reiterated that the PTI management had always supported the system and refrained from launching street protests. “Despite all our efforts, PTI is pushed to the wall,” he added.
He also criticized the judiciary for delays in consultation of petitions filed since 2023, noting that “litigation is being carried out in courts until 2 pm, yet our cases remain undeclared.”
When he turned his Ire against the Election Commission, Gohar said it had survived its constitutional period and questioned the continued disqualification of elected PTI representatives. “If PTI is removed from the system, the question arises – who is behind this?”
Formerly, ATC in Faislabad convicted Top Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) leaders for up to 10 years in prison in cases relating to May 9 protests.
ALSO READ: ECP disqualifies three PTI legislators
Opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, opposition leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Yellow, MNA SaHibzada Hamid Raza and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were among the 108 PTI leaders sentenced by the 185 implicated in the cases while 77 others were acquired.
About 60 of the convicts, including Faraz, Ayub, Yellow and Raza, were sentenced to 10 years in prison each, while other criminal sentences were each handed down prison terms in three years.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was acquitted with Zain Qureshi, Khayal Kastro, Faizullah Kamoka, Rana Asad Mehmood Khan, Bilal Ashraf Basra, Haroon Rasheed, Amara Rasheed, SaHibzada Hassan Raza and Kamran Warraich.
