PTI Leaders Push for Dialogue with ‘Powerful Quarters’

News Desk

Islamabad: Calls for initiating dialogue with the country’s ‘powerful quarters’ are gaining momentum within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as several leaders urged re-engagement during a high-level parliamentary party meeting held on Wednesday.

The meeting also witnessed growing unease over the role of Aleema Khan in party affairs and criticism of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent decisions.

According to party insiders, some members expressed dissatisfaction with Gandapur’s approval of the provincial budget without consulting party founder Imran Khan, currently incarcerated. There were also calls to curtail Aleema Khan’s influence in leadership matters, amid concerns about her alleged interference.

During the session, senior PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan proposed that the party’s social media platforms should focus solely on advocating for Imran Khan’s release, rather than fueling internal debates.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Chief Minister Gandapur issued a strong-worded challenge to the state and institutions, asserting that his government in KP could not be constitutionally removed.

“The decision on reserved seats is a stain on the state and institutions,” Gandapur said, claiming that only Imran Khan had the authority to dissolve the provincial government.

He further declared that any attempt to topple the KP government through political means would compel him to resign from politics. Gandapur also denounced the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it an “attack on the judiciary” and vowed to reverse it if PTI returned to power.

“Our judiciary is imprisoned until we regain power. PECA and other laws are part of a conspiracy to enslave the nation,” he claimed.

Gandapur clarified that although Imran Khan wished to meet him as party head, the meeting could not materialize. However, he insisted that Khan never instructed the provincial government to step down.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, speaking at the meeting, confirmed that a letter from incarcerated leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, and Ijaz Chaudhry was discussed. The letter urged the party to pursue negotiations with both the powerful quarters and the sitting government to resolve the ongoing political crisis.

“The founder of PTI has always advocated for meaningful dialogue, and all decisions, whether about talks or protests, are in line with his directives,” Gohar said. He dismissed speculation about a no-confidence move against the KP government, stressing that those pushing for it lack the necessary numbers.

“The meeting’s primary objective was to send a strong message of unity. PTI will protect its government in KP at all costs, but for any negotiations to proceed, there must be credible steps from the other side,” he added.

PTI General Secretary Barrister Salman Akram Raja said the party’s struggle was rooted in restoring the rights and dignity of the people. “This is a war for public representation and national self-respect. We were told to forget the past and move forward, but we won’t allow injustices to go unchallenged,” he said.

Raja also rejected attempts to silence PTI through judicial manipulation and seat reallocation. “We will not retreat. God willing, we will succeed,” he vowed.

PTI KP President Junaid Akbar acknowledged internal differences but reiterated the party’s commitment to implementing Imran Khan’s directives wholeheartedly.

Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed that the parliamentary party unanimously passed a resolution vowing to intensify efforts for the release of Imran Khan and other imprisoned leaders. He said the party would challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict on reserved seats through legal avenues and called on the judiciary to uphold its independence in the face of government pressure.

The meeting underscored PTI’s increasingly confrontational tone towards state institutions, internal disagreements over leadership roles, and a renewed push for high-level dialogue as the party navigates its political and legal challenges.