WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has called for political dialogue to resolve the country’s ongoing political tensions, while criticising what he described as arrests and pressure against the party leadership and the family of PTI founder Imran Khan.
Speaking to reporters in Lahore during a visit to express solidarity with Imran Khan’s arrested sisters, Gohar said political disputes could only be resolved through political means and urged all sides to keep negotiations open.
“Political disputes can only be settled through political means. In politics, no word is final,” he said, according to reports.
Gohar claimed that four members of Imran Khan’s family and eight members of the National Assembly were currently in custody, while some provincial ministers remained missing. These figures were presented by the PTI chairman and have not been independently verified in the reports cited.
The PTI chairman said the party was aware of stakeholders who could potentially be engaged in negotiations. He said Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri and PTI leaders were prepared to participate in talks aimed at ending the political deadlock.
Gohar also criticised the federal government, saying PTI’s public offers for negotiations had not produced meaningful dialogue. He alleged that the government was not demonstrating sufficient seriousness about resolving the impasse.
Dispute over K-P authority
Gohar separately accused the federal government of effectively taking control of the provincial apparatus in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, describing the situation as “unannounced Governor’s Rule.” The claim reflects PTI’s position and was not independently established by the sources reviewed.
The controversy comes amid heightened political tensions in K-P and preparations for PTI’s planned Sept. 27 march toward Islamabad. The party has said the demonstration will remain peaceful, while authorities have increased security measures ahead of the planned protest.
Gohar rejected allegations that PTI intended to attack state institutions during the march, saying the party wanted to maintain peace during the demonstrations.
PTI condemns raids on ministers’ homes
PTI also condemned what it described as raids on the residences of two K-P provincial ministers and the arrest of MNA Mohammad Zubair Khan Wazir.
According to the party’s statement, the residence of K-P Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Minister Syed Fakhar Jehan was raided Tuesday night. PTI also said the residence of Irrigation Minister Riaz Khan in Buner was raided.
The party further alleged that Zubair Khan Wazir’s residence was surrounded for several hours before a police contingent entered the house and arrested him. These allegations were made by PTI in its statement.
The developments come as the Islamabad High Court is also dealing with allegations of harassment and raids against PTI leaders ahead of the planned march. On Sept. 22, the court summoned Islamabad’s SSP Operations in connection with a petition challenging alleged police harassment and raids.
Gohar’s renewed call for negotiations places dialogue at the centre of PTI’s stated approach even as the party continues preparations for its Sept. 27 protest and disputes over arrests, provincial authority and political space remain unresolved.