- Several members stress need to re-establish communication.
- Some leaders also criticise KP Chief Minister Gandapur.
- Calls to limit Aleema Khan’s involvement in decisions.
ISLAMABAD: During the PTI Parliamentary Party meeting on Wednesday, several members stressed the need to re-establish communication with the ‘powerful quarters’ and voiced concerns over Aleema Khan’s alleged interference in party affairs, according to The News.
According to party insiders, some leaders also criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for approving the budget without consulting the party’s founder. There were also calls to limit Aleema Khan’s involvement in the party’s leadership decisions.
Ali Muhammad Khan proposed that the social media should be used only for the release of the party founder Imran Khan. Later, addressing a press conference after attending the parliamentary party meeting here, Gandapur dared the state and institutions to politically overthrow his government, insisting that his government could not be removed through constitutional means.
“The decision on the reserved seats is a stain on the state and institutions. The authority rests with the PTI founder Imran Khan to order the overthrow of the government,” he said.
Gandapur remarked: “Our government can never be overthrown through constitutional means. The challenge is that the state and institutions should politically overthrow the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.”
He challenged all institutions and the state that if the PTI government was toppled politically, then he will quit politics. He contended that the 26th Amendment was an attack on the judiciary and vowed to undo it after his party came to power again.
Gandapur further said until they came into power again, the judiciary will remain ‘imprisoned’. “Whatever is happening, including the PECA law, is a conspiracy to enslave the nation,” he claimed.
Gandapur clarified that the party founder Imran wanted to meet him (Gandapur), as he was the party head, but he (Gandapur) realised that the meeting would not be possible.
However, “Imran Khan never signalled packing up the provincial government if the meeting could not take place. The power to dissolve the government always rests with Imran Khan,” he asserted. The KP chief minister claimed that when he met Imran in Adiala jail after the budget session, it proved that Imran was not in favour of removing the government.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan explained that the letter of the imprisoned leaders regarding the talks was discussed in the parliamentary party meeting.
In the letter, he said, the incarcerated party leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid and Ijaz Chaudhry, told the party that talks with the powerful and political government were the only way out of the crisis.
“The letter was considered but the founder of PTI has always stressed that talks should be meaningful. All the orders of the founder, including the talks and movement, were implemented,” Gohar said. He said the party always stood for meaningful talks.
However, he contended that if someone was keen to bring a no-confidence motion, then they should try to do so. “Those who want to bring a no-confidence motion do not have the seats. There is and will always be the PTI government in KP. We will protect the KP government at all costs but if negotiations are to be held, then concrete steps should be taken,” he emphasised.
“The purpose of today’s meeting was to send a message of unity. Whatever the plan is it will be announced in line with the directives of the party founder,” he clarified. Gohar regretted that their seats were taken away, references were sent against their MNAs and punishments were imposed on them.
PTI General Secretary Barrister Salman Akram Raja said the PTI was struggling for the rights of the people of Pakistan. He lamented that Pakistan was being looted for eight decades and the voice of its people was being ignored.
He said their struggle was for self-respect adding, “This war is a war of rights of the people and we will fight the war of the founder PTI and victory will be our destiny; we were told that what was done cannot be undone, ignore the past and move forward, but we will not let this happen. We will not suppress the voice of people.”
He added: “No one should be under the illusion that by taking away our seats and overwhelming the judiciary, people could be forced to retreat. God willing, we will achieve victory.”
Speaking on the occasion, PTI KP President Junaid Akbar said the leadership of the National Assembly and KP participated in the parliamentary party meeting. “Our differences exist but despite those, the directives of PTI founder would be implemented whole-heartedly.”
The party’s Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, said a resolution had been passed in the parliamentary party meeting, committing that the party will make every effort for the release of Imran Khan and other imprisoned leaders.
He noted that the parliamentary party would devise legal processes against the Supreme Court’s verdict on reserved seats. He said the party rejected the government’s pressure on the judiciary, and has asked the judiciary to stand up for its merit and independence.
