Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) has declared that he will not support any anti-terrorism operation unless he has public approval, arguing that national security decisions must be taken through a consensus.
The party also accused the government of imposing a “civil martial law”, suppressing dissent and not addressing the growing terrorism effectively.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the current administration is silencing the voices of the opposition and making arbitrary arrests. He criticized security issues, stating that military operations require public confidence to succeed.
“Decisions cannot be imposed through force. If people do not support an anti -terrorism operation, PTI will not,” Akram said.
He compared the current situation with previous security efforts, such as Operation Swat, which was discussed in Parliament before being implemented.
In addition, he said that Pakistan’s security situation has worsened since 2022, with an increase in terrorist incidents.
According to him, an important reason for this is the wide gap between the public and the State. “Terrorists know that the nation is divided and is not with the government,” he said, adding that the unity between public and state institutions was crucial to combat threats.
Akram accused the government of directing the country through force instead of democratic media, stating that Pakistan was effectively under the “Civil Martial Law.” He claimed that anyone who spoke against the administration was being silenced, including members of PTI and social networks activists.
“This is not the Pakistan of Quaid-E-Azam. People are being kidnapped for expressing their opinions. If someone has committed a crime, they processes them in court, not through kidnappings,” he said.
He referred to the recent disappearance of Haider Saeed social networks activist, claiming that he was taken without due process. “Haider is not even officially part of the PTI social media team, but it has been collected. If he has done something wrong, present it to a court instead of kidnapping him,” he demanded.
The PTI leader also claimed that several other social media workers have been arrested and that their accounts were being closed. “Five of our social networks workers are in custody, however, none has appeared before a judge. This government has turned the legal system into a joke,” he added.
On the political front, Akram revealed that PTI was actively working to form an opposition alliance. He said the party aims to launch protests at the national level against the government shortly after EID.
“We are in contact with other opposition leaders, and our goal is to unite against this oppression,” he said.
He confirmed that PTI has already held conversations with Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam Chief (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and now just a meeting with PTI’s founding president, Imran Khan. “Once we finish issues with Imran Khan, we will advance with a joint strategy,” he said.
Regarding PTI’s participation in an upcoming security security session in the Chamber, Akram said that the leadership of the party would decide soon. “Since it refers to national security, we can participate, but a final decision will be made after internal discussions,” he added.
Concluding his comments, Akram warned the government against the failure through force, stating that only democratic consensus and due legal process can address both security and political crises in the country.
