Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan was stopped by police at the Dahgal checkpoint Tuesday while on his way to Adiala Jail to meet the party’s founder, Imran Khan. Speaking to the media at the checkpoint, Barrister Gohar said that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) must be allowed to meet the PTI founder. “If the Chief Minister is not granted a meeting, the party has decided to form a short cabinet,” he announced, adding that the full cabinet would later be expanded with the founder’s approval. He said the Chief Minister himself would determine the competence of cabinet members and include those he deemed most suitable. Gohar expressed hope that the KP Chief Minister would soon be allowed to meet Imran Khan with permission from the High Court. “If the Chief Minister cannot meet him, the province cannot be left without a cabinet,” he added. Responding to questions about vehicles provided to the KP government, Gohar said he was unaware of the exact number but had learned that some of the vehicles were previously in use by the United Nations. On the issue of terrorism, Barrister Gohar reiterated that PTI condemns all forms of extremism and supports full implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP). “The NAP clearly states that provincial capacity against terrorism must be strengthened. The federal government is responsible for providing the best vehicles to KP for counterterrorism purposes,” he said, emphasising that there should be “no politics on the issue of terrorism.” He also addressed the matter of Afghan refugees, urging that they should be repatriated within a clear timeframe and treated with dignity. “We want these people not to become a threat to us after returning. We are Pakistanis, and Pakistan is ours. No land, including Afghanistan, should ever be used against Pakistan,” he stressed. Commenting on the absence of the KP Chief Minister from a meeting called by the Prime Minister, Gohar said it should not be politicised. “Sohail Afridi had also requested a meeting with the PTI founder, which was a legitimate request. People have met Nawaz Sharif and Zardari before — why the double standards now?” Barrister Gohar further confirmed that PTI had nominated Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the party’s opposition leader in the National Assembly. “We have submitted Achakzai’s nomination as per the founder’s instructions, and 74 MNAs have signed the request,” he said. Regarding electoral matters, Gohar revealed that PTI did not receive a stay order in the NA-18 Haripur constituency case. “The founder has given permission to contest the NA-18 by-election, and Omar Ayub’s wife has submitted her nomination papers for the seat,” he stated. He also expressed regret over PTI’s narrow loss in the recent Supreme Court Bar elections. “Losing by 400 votes is deeply concerning for us. We are saddened and are seriously reviewing the reasons behind this defeat,” he concluded.
PTI Chairman Seeks KP CM’s Meeting with Party Founder Imran Khan
