Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has affirmed that his party intends to conduct a peaceful long march, dismissing concerns and accusations that the demonstration would target state institutions or incite unrest. He accused certain government factions of spreading misinformation to undermine the protest.
Speaking to the media in Lahore on Wednesday, Gohar described PTI as a democratic political force aiming to showcase its public support through the planned long march. He emphasized that the party seeks justice and will persist with its protest until its goals are met.
Gohar criticized the lack of progress in legal cases involving PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, highlighting that despite medical recommendations and court orders, Imran Khan has not been transferred to a hospital. He noted that the party has approached the high courts 25 times and the Supreme Court 119 times, and raised concerns in parliament, but when these efforts failed, they resolved to take to the streets.
He insisted that PTI will continue to voice its grievances publicly so the world recognizes the unfair treatment it faces.
Addressing the breakdown in dialogue between PTI and the government, Gohar stated that his party has repeatedly expressed willingness to engage in talks, but the government has not taken concrete steps to advance the process. He stressed that political disputes should be resolved through political means, noting that PTI leaders, including Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, remain available for discussions.
He described the government’s offer for talks as merely symbolic, lacking practical follow-through. Gohar suggested that if genuine steps were taken, meaningful dialogue could proceed, but he perceives a lack of seriousness from the government in resolving political issues.
Rejecting claims promoted by some government elements that PTI’s long march or sit-in would involve attacks on state institutions or Islamabad, Gohar insisted the party’s actions are peaceful protests aimed at asserting their rights. He questioned why PTI is facing restrictions on demonstrations when other political parties have been permitted to hold marches, reiterating the party’s desire for a calm and peaceful march.
In a significant development, Gohar condemned the arrests of Imran Khan’s sisters—Aleema Khan, Noreen Bibi, and Uzma Khan—describing their detention as a severe example of political victimization, especially since they are non-political family members. He highlighted that four members of Imran Khan’s family are currently imprisoned, alongside eight PTI members of the National Assembly and two provincial assembly members.
Gohar further alleged that two ministers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are missing, and raids have been conducted at the homes of two ministers in his Buner constituency. Despite these arrests and raids, he affirmed that PTI’s MNAs and MPAs remain resolute.
He also claimed that a form of “governor’s rule” is effectively in place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without formal declaration, with the administration fully controlled by the government despite the province’s ministers, MNAs, and MPAs belonging to PTI. Gohar warned that this situation poses serious risks to democracy and lamented the government’s apparent unwillingness to resolve ongoing political issues.
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