ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has escalated its protest strategy by announcing a boycott of National Assembly sessions.
The move comes after the party resigned from several parliamentary committees. According to leaders, the decision follows directives from PTI founder Imran Khan.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said all party members supported the step. He confirmed that lawmakers would now hold peaceful protest gatherings outside the Parliament House instead of participating fully in assembly proceedings.
“We tried to present our demands in a democratic manner, but were not allowed to speak,” Gohar said. He added that PTI members faced disqualification and were barred even from marking national occasions such as Independence Day in the assembly.
The decision also comes against the backdrop of mounting legal troubles for PTI. Courts recently disqualified senior leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz in cases linked to the May 9 riots, adding to the party’s challenges.
PTI Information Secretary Waqas Akram clarified that members would not completely avoid sessions. “Our MNAs will briefly attend each sitting and then come out in protest,” he said. He further explained that the lawmakers would conduct informal “assemblies” outside Parliament.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq urged PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members to reconsider their resignations from standing committees. He expressed hope that they would remain part of the legislative process.
PTI decides on this boycott at a time when tensions between the party and government are high. The move signals the party’s intent to continue pressing its demands through public protest rather than parliamentary debate.
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