PTI chairman Gohar rejects Barrister Saif's claims on Imran Khan meeting
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rejected claims made by party leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif. Gohar said the party tried through courts and negotiations to meet Imran Khan but was not allowed a single meeting.
- Gohar called Barrister Saif's claims false and rejected them on Monday.
- He said no meeting with Imran Khan was allowed despite court and negotiation efforts.
- PTI's political committee dismissed reports of internal divisions and listed several demands.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday rejected claims made by party leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, saying the party had made every possible effort to secure a meeting with its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.
"All of Barrister Saif's claims are false. I reject them," Gohar said.
He also said: "We made every possible effort to meet the PTI founder through the courts and negotiations, but despite all our efforts, we were not allowed even a single meeting." Gohar added that access to Imran was one of the party's conditions during negotiations.
Saif had claimed in an interview on the Geo News programme Jirga that Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was in direct contact with important establishment figures. Saif said those contacts were not aimed at securing Imran's release.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja linked any party decision on the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment to a meeting with Imran. Raja also said he could not control PTI's social media.
After a meeting of its political committee, PTI issued a statement dismissing reports of internal divisions. The committee discussed the political situation, inflation and law and order.
The party demanded the immediate release of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, the provincial assembly speaker and other detained parliamentarians. It also expressed concern that Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi were shifted to hospital without their families being informed, and demanded implementation of the Supreme Court's order on medical treatment for Imran with regular updates to his family.
PTI further condemned the arrest of Imran's sisters and their treatment in custody, and demanded their release and permission to meet him. It raised concern over the arrests of MNA Adil Bazai and other leaders and workers held under the Maintenance of Public Order, and condemned raids and vandalism at the homes of Omar Ayub, Sher Ali Arbab and Shah Ahad. The committee also voiced concern over rising terrorism and said action against terrorism should not be used for political retaliation.
Why it matters
Access to Imran Khan is a major political issue in Pakistan, and the dispute within and around PTI shapes how the party approaches talks and the proposed 28th Amendment.
