In an effort to ease tensions, Barrister Gohar Khan, the newly-elected Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged on Wednesday for discussions with the influential entities in the country before the upcoming general elections. He emphasized that the PTI holds no animosity towards the establishment and simply desires to have its voice heard.
Seeking to address any misconceptions, Gohar Khan expressed the party’s readiness to engage in talks with the authorities, emphasizing the need to clear the air and establish a constructive dialogue. The goal is to bring about a resolution and allow the unsettled situation to finally calm down.
Read more : Election 2024: PTI to now Play without Bat Symbol
This call for communication arises amidst an ongoing standoff between the military establishment and the ousted former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, since April 2022. Tensions escalated during the appointment of the current army chief and further intensified after the alleged attacks on the country’s civil and military installations by PTI leaders and workers on May 9, 2023.
During an interaction with journalists in the capital, Gohar Khan, accompanied by PTI’s information secretary Raof Hassan and other party officials, reiterated that PTI harbors no grievances against anyone, including the establishment. He stated that the country and the army belong to everyone, including PTI and Imran Khan.
Following a meeting with Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Gohar disclosed that discussions were held inside the prison to finalize the names of the party’s candidates for constituencies nationwide. He assured that the names would be announced in the coming days as consultations with Imran were nearing completion.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the role of the Elections Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Gohar accused the electoral watchdog of siding against PTI. He highlighted that the ECP not only deprived the party of its election symbol, the cricket bat, but also consistently contested the matter in court. Gohar claimed that the ECP was being manipulated to corner PTI at all costs.
He lamented the bias shown by the ECP, pointing out that while PTI conducted transparent intra-party elections, out of the 175 registered political parties, the electoral body selectively targeted PTI. This, according to Gohar, indicated a deliberate effort to sideline and marginalize the most popular political party in the country through unjust actions.
