PTI parliamentary party demands end to KP governor rule, restoration of government

The joint parliamentary party of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), made up of members of the National Assembly and Senate, passed a resolution by majority vote demanding an immediate end to emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It called for the elected provincial government to be restored under Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

According to Express News, the meeting was chaired by Barrister Gohar and lasted several hours. The report said there were heated exchanges among members and some left before it ended. According to a statement issued after the meeting, the resolution expressed unwavering confidence in the party founder's leadership and called for the immediate release of the founder and Bushra Bibi.

The resolution said meetings between the founder and his family, lawyers and authorised party representatives should be restored. Daily Pakistan reported that the text also demands full implementation of the Supreme Court's August 2026 directions, which include an independent medical examination, treatment at Shifa International Hospital and the involvement of his personal physician.

On KP, the resolution described emergency and governor's rule as an attack on provincial autonomy and the federal principles of the constitution. It demanded the release of Chief Minister Afridi, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and provincial party president Junaid Akbar Khan. It rejected an unelected advisory council and any arrangement that transfers the powers of the elected government.

The resolution said the war on terrorism cannot be used to justify political revenge or the removal of an elected government. It also demanded the release of the founder's sisters, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid and other political prisoners, and an end to politically motivated cases against Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and others. It condemned terrorism and all terrorist groups and paid tribute to the sacrifices of the armed forces, police and citizens.

Other demands included restoration of the 8 February 2024 election mandate or fresh transparent elections, impartial investigations into the events of 9 May 2023 and 26 November 2024, and withdrawal of the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments. It also called for judicial independence, urgent steps on inflation and unemployment, and expressed confidence in the leadership named by the founder, including Barrister Gohar, Salman Akram Raja, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

Express News reported Barrister Gohar as saying meaningful talks with the government should be held to resolve political issues, and that nobody knew where the chief minister was since governor's rule. After the meeting, chief whip Malik Amir Dogar said it was an extraordinary meeting and the first session of the parliamentary party, with more to follow. He said the decisions would be put before opposition leaders.