Lawyers criticized what they called the marginalization of the judiciary, while journalists spoke out against the PECA law
A national conference held under the banner of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan on Saturday agreed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should adopt a path of resistance rather than reconciliation and pledged support for such a course.
According to Express newsan opposition-led forum at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House in the federal capital brought together representatives from political parties, the legal community, media and civil society. Speakers criticized the latest constitutional changes and condemned what they called the weakening of parliament.
Lawyers criticized what they called the marginalization of the judiciary, while journalists spoke out against the PECA law. The participants of the conference collectively agreed that “resistance, not appeasement” should be pursued against what they described as the role of the establishment and urged the PTI to take the lead and pledged their support.
Gohar calls Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi sentences ‘judicial murder’
Addressing the conference, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been convicted once again and called the development a “justice murder.”
He said the party had believed that after May 2025, “the chapter of convictions and sentences would come to an end” and the country would move towards “the supremacy of justice.” He added that the PTI had withstood pressure without resorting to chaos or sit-ins, “never taking the law into its own hands”, and continued to hope that their leader would be released, allowing the constitution, democracy and the rule of law to move forward.
However, he said repeated convictions “which go against the constitution and the law” are spreading despair among the public and raising questions about the future of democracy.
Read: ATC gives 10 years imprisonment to Yasmin Rashid, Omar Cheema and other PTI leaders
Barrister Gohar said that after the recent sentences, he wrote on X that the party’s leadership had “collectively been sentenced to 70 years.” He added that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had already received 60 years collectively and seven more cases were pending against the leadership.
“If sentences are passed in these cases as well, the total sentence could reach 140 years,” he said, questioning “how long such sentences would continue.”
He said judges were no longer safe, political leaders unsafe and even those in parliament were not protected. Referring to Asad Qaiser’s repeated remarks, Gohar said that despite discouraging such statements, circumstances forced them to recognize that the country was “effectively under martial law”.
He said the two-day conference would serve as a platform to debate crucial issues, stressing that “neither extremism nor undemocratic forces should be allowed to prevail.”
Gohar added that Imran Khan was not in jail for a crime but “for the freedom of the people,” and said that once the public secured its freedom, “their leader will be released.” He urged political actors not to obstruct solutions. “When leaders fail to open paths to the public, eventually people are forced to find their own way,” he warned.
Read more: Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana 2.0
He said election rigging in by-elections and other developments had compounded the crisis. He added that he had sought permission from Imran Khan for talks and said Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas had been assigned to decide whether to continue talks or resistance, “with the support of the PTI founder and millions of voters.”
Gohar said the movement was called Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan, adding that had the situation been foreseen earlier, “it would have been called the Movement for the Restoration of the Constitution.”
Achakzai calls for dialogue
Addressing the conference, Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai called for reconciliation between political forces and said differences should be put aside to pull the country out of the crisis.
He said that democratic dialogue remained possible, adding that if talks were to take place, permission should be given for talks with PTI founder Imran Khan.
Achakzai said that while sentences were being handed down, even basic rights such as “meetings with family and political leaders” were being denied. He urged Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami to sit together and said the mandate for the February 8 elections should be recognized by recognizing the “winner”.
He also referred to a report on corruption worth Rs 5.309 billion and stressed that “government institutions should perform their duties without interfering in politics.”
Street movement call
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said the party had gone to court expecting a hearing but instead “received an unexpected verdict in the Toshakhana-II case.” He said the situation was “no longer about a single political party, but about a wider system of injustice.”
Raja said Imran Khan had conveyed a message to the nation to “prepare for a street movement”, saying “there is no alternative left.”
He said restrictions were imposed under legal provisions to prevent mobilization, but stressed the need for collective action. He added that the PTI was fighting a “battle for principles, not for power” and stood with those “whose voices were unheard.”
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said “no options are left” and the party will now take to the streets. He said “resistance is the only way forward,” rejecting any allegation that the PTI could be intimidated and demanded justice “based on merit” for Imran Khan.
KP CM condemns political injustice
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said an “unfair decision” had been announced against their leader. He said injustice existed even before the recent constitutional changes and that democratic institutions had long been paralyzed.
Afridi said Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were “innocent” and that “false cases” had been filed. He said political parties should remain political and not “tools for others”, calling the struggle a strengthening of democracy.
Senior politician Javed Hashmi said that prisons and sacrifices had historically led nations to freedom, adding that rights were secured through “struggle, not retreat.” Stressing unity and rejecting divisive narratives, he said he opposed confrontational politics but noted that “meaningful dialogue has repeatedly failed.”
Reversal of amendments
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said efforts should be made to strengthen voices calling for impartial elections. He said political parties, media and civil society must unite on a national agenda where the minimum agreement should be “protection of the constitution.”
He called for the reversal of constitutional amendments passed, in his words, through “artificial majorities and bad faith”, arguing that they undermined the independence and fundamental rights of the judiciary.
Support for resistance
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari said the PTI remained the most popular party because “the public had given its mandate to Imran Khan.” She urged the PTI to decide whether it would pursue resistance or reconciliation, saying “compromise is not possible in the face of repression.”
Mazari said the issue was now about “the rights and mandate of the people” and called for collective condemnation of alleged mistreatment of political figures and activists. Criticizing what she described as “unprecedented actions against judges” and restrictions on journalists, she said truth-telling had been criminalized and journalists faced arrest for doing their jobs.
Journalist Matiullah Jan said the country was under an “openly enforced form of martial law,” while former senator Mushtaq Ahmad called for resistance in “cities and public spaces.”
Read: Imran says avenues of justice are closing and urges supporters to prepare for street protests
Senior journalist Habib Akram said restrictions on the media had intensified under the PECA law and questioned whether there was any “peaceful way forward”.
PTM leader Mohsin Dawar said Pakistan had been trapped in the same cycle for decades, adding that political leaders’ beliefs were nothing new and “only the party concerned changes over time.”
The conference ended with a renewed call for resistance over reconciliation, calling for collective action to protect constitutional and democratic rights.
