PTI claims attempts are being made to pit the largest party against the largest institution.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday expressed deep disappointment over comments made by Pakistan Army Spokesperson a day earlier, calling the language “inappropriate” and detrimental to democratic norms.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Gohar said that the fact that a senior official of a major institution used such words (even indirectly) for a big political party, its leaders or the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was unfortunate for democracy. He said the statements made at the press conference were “very disappointing” and that the language used “was not appropriate.”

Gohar emphasized that the PTI had no intention of escalating tensions. “This press conference is not for confrontation. But we want to make it clear that some people appear to be trying to create a conflict between the workers of a major political party and the staff of a major state institution. This must not happen.”

Read: Army calls Imran narrative ‘threat to national security’

Throughout the press conference, the PTI leaders said that they were not looking for confrontation or political instability. Gohar said: “Some people want fights. We don’t. We want dialogue, humility and space.”

Despite what he described as serious allegations, Gohar said the party would not retaliate with aggression. “We are not going to respond to a brick with a stone, but we need to tell the public what has happened to us.”

He said the PTI believed that “any destruction begins with the utterance of a few inappropriate words,” and urged humility and space for dialogue. He added that meetings with Imran Khan were not permitted and cases concerning him were not being examined. “Our narrative has shifted from ‘free Imran Khan’ to ‘let us meet him’.”

Detailing the political grievances, he said: “With 180 seats, we were forced to sit in 91. Our own seat was taken away. The founding president always said that the country is ours and the army is ours. In times of war, we were always with the army. After all this, we still thought things would get better.”

‘Country pushed into coercion’

PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said Pakistan had repeatedly witnessed “dark moments” when the state resorted to coercive measures. “They told us that this country needs the stick to progress, but we know what happened: bodies were found in bags in Karachi.”

He said the region was marked by conflict and militarization but lacked well-being, while Pakistan had persistently faced narratives that democracy was inadequate. “Every time authoritarianism came, Pakistan became weaker. Where is Pakistan today?”

Raja said the global order was changing and countries were being “pressured to choose between powerful states: on one side, China and on the other, the United States”, although Pakistan had not benefited from such pressures. “Has Pakistan advanced through coercion? The elite only got richer.”

He criticized what he described as efforts to undermine the judiciary and the legal community, pointing to cases against PTI lawyers. “How can an official replace an independent judiciary?” he asked, pointing out that despite having a constitution, Pakistan had been left behind.

Read also: Tarar rules out negotiations with PTI, no dialogue unless they apologize

Raja said the Supreme Court gave reserved seats to the PTI but “later it became a district court”. He wondered if that was the purpose for which Pakistan was created. “Quaid-e-Azam always told military leaders not to get involved in politics.”

He said the PTI’s demands had shifted from seeking Imran Khan’s release to simply seeking permission for a meeting. “If this continues, democracy will be ruined.”

‘KP feels insulted’

Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser rejected any presentation of Khan as a security threat. “If anyone says that Imran Khan’s name will be erased or that he poses a security risk, I condemn him,” he said.

He said the military spokesperson’s comments had caused deep resentment in KP. “We will demand that those words be withdrawn. The entire province feels insulted.”

Qaiser said he had taught many students who now serve in the armed forces and other institutions, stressing that the PTI wanted to see a strong army. “Soldiers and police officers are martyred daily. We do not want chaos. Our demand is democracy.”

He said PTI leaders continued to face imprisonment. “Sixty-four thousand FIRs registered and thirty-four thousand arrests,” he claimed, adding that the party’s seats had been “given to another party.” Criticizing the restrictions on meetings with PTI leaders, he said: “Those who say no meetings will be allowed, who are you? People have rejected you.”

Read: Government extends dialogue offer to PTI

Qaiser demanded the immediate release of Imran Khan and other detained leaders and criticized constitutional amendments which he said had “paralyzed the courts”. He confirmed that the opposition alliance had agreed to call a national conference.

Raja said Pakistan could not progress unless the voice of the people resonated within the parliament. “We are not here to respond to yesterday’s press conference. We will not respond in the same way,” he said.

Qaiser added that the PTI remains the largest political force in the country and is essential for national progress. “Without us, no challenge can be overcome. The institutions and the people must move forward together. We do not want unrest in the country.”