ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Advocate Gohar Khan on Wednesday said his party had taken a “principled stance” on national security and demanded that briefings be held in Parliament.
The federal government decided on Tuesday to convene a closed-door briefing for political party heads and parliamentary leaders on the rapidly evolving regional security situation, including recent developments involving Iran and ongoing tensions with Afghanistan.
However, the PTI said it would boycott the briefing unless family and lawyer meetings with party founder Imran Khan are immediately allowed as per court orders.
Speaking to the media in Parliament on Wednesday, Gohar said the PTI had sought a comprehensive briefing on regional tensions, including Afghanistan and the Iran-US standoff, but questioned how long his party could continue attending joint sessions when, he claimed, its parliamentary presence was not recognised.
“When we are not given importance and our presence is not recognized in parliament, why should we attend [the session]?”, asked.
He said the authorities did not allow meetings with the PTI founder, nor did they provide access to his family members or personal doctors. “Your attitude is extremely harsh and then you expect us to sit down with you for a photo shoot. That’s not going to happen,” she said.
Gohar said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had approached him a day earlier and conveyed a message to attend the prime minister’s briefing.
He expressed his gratitude to the JUI-F chief for his disclosure, calling his opinion respectable, but added that the matter had been brought before the party’s political committee due to reservations.
He maintained that the PTI had consistently supported the country on national security issues, be it during tensions with India, Afghanistan or the Iran-US dispute. “Our statements are recorded,” he said.
