RAWALPINDI:
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that rising tensions with Afghanistan could increase the threat of terrorism. He has emphasized finding a political, not military, solution to the problem.
“Imran said the PTI strongly condemns all forms of terrorism but believes the solution lies in political dialogue. Military strikes in Afghanistan could lead to a rise in terrorist activity in Pakistan,” PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said after meeting the PTI founder at Adiala Jail on Tuesday.
Gohar spoke to the media outside the prison along with Senator Ali Zafar and lawyer Muhammad Ali Saif. Earlier, PTI leaders met the party founder during the hearing of the Toshakhana-II case, the proceedings of which also took place in a courtroom inside the jail.
According to the PTI president, Imran said, “The army is ours and the martyrs are ours. The blood of common citizens should not be shed, but the end of terrorism must come through political means.”
Imran was referring to current tensions with neighboring Afghanistan, which on Saturday attacked Pakistani army checkpoints along the entire western border.
The army subsequently retaliated and killed around 200 Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operatives. Twenty-three Pakistani soldiers also embraced martyrdom in the exchange of fire.
The PTI founder, leaders said, claimed that he has no enmity with the military and noted that many members of his family serve in the armed forces. “The distribution of certificates of treason must stop,” Imran said.
Lawyer Saif added that Imran Khan also condemned the violence against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leaders and workers and called for peaceful protests against such incidents.
Punjab authorities on Monday cracked down on a TLP protest march in Muridke. According to the Punjab Police, five people, including three TLP workers and a policeman, were killed in the crackdown.
The leader said it was his first meeting with the party founder after the change of chief minister in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where the PTI is in power.
They added that Imran Khan thanked all MPAs for electing their new choice Sohail Afridi as the new CM and also praised former CM Ali Amin Gandapur for his leadership.
According to them, Imran Khan asserted that the government belongs to those holding the public mandate and expressed hope that the issue of oath-taking in the KP would be resolved smoothly.
Imran also congratulated all the party functionaries and emphasized that whoever he nominates will become the prime minister as the KP remains the political bastion of the PTI.
During the media interaction, a journalist asked Gohar Ali Khan what was the disagreement between the PTI and the military when both insisted on implementing the National Action Plan (NAP), adopted after the December 2014 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.
Gohar responded that “people” were creating confusion without reading the NAP, and clarified that the PTI’s All Party Conference press release in January also mentioned the NAP and specific operations.
He also reminded reporters that Imran Khan himself had signed the original NAP, emphasizing that the PTI seeks unity, not confrontation.
Speaking to the media near Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, said that the PTI is a major political party with workers across the country. He said a new political reality has emerged after the February 8, 2024 general election, and “now everyone recognizes it.”
Aleema revealed that Imran Khan had repeatedly advised former KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur on a particular issue but it was not implemented.
He quoted Imran Khan as saying that Pakistan should hold talks with Afghanistan instead of launching military operations. “Imran Khan is considered a great leader around the world; you may not realize that,” he told reporters. “Recognize and respect such a great leader,” he added.
