LAHORE:
The Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), Salman, Akram Raja, has requested a national protest on August 5, urging the public to meet behind what he described as a “historical movement.”
Framing the fight of the party as a struggle for national sovereignty instead of a mere political survival, Raja requested mass participation to defend democratic rights.
When heading to a press conference in Lahore on Monday along with high -level PTI leaders, he condemned what he called unconstitutional actions aimed at PTI legislators, describing a broader offensive against dissent.
He criticized the decision of the Punjab Assembly to send references against 26 PTI members to the Pakistan Electoral Commission, calling to be politically illegal and motivated. “Our members will continue to raise their voices against this unconstitutional step,” he said.
Raja accused the government of systematically marking more than 100 members of PTI chosen through form manipulation 47 during the electoral process. “This is not just political engineering, it is an assault on the mandate of the people,” he said.
In addition, he claimed that May 9 protests were deliberately misrepresented, claiming that what began as a peaceful demonstration was later portrayed as a violent conspiracy. He requested the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events and demanded the release of CCTV images to corroborate the accusations made against PTI supporters.
“In jail, Imran Khan continues to praise the members of our assembly for being firm,” said Raja, added that the founder of PTI has denied legal and family access and is being subjected to hard conditions, including long hours without ventilation.
He warned that Pakistan’s political and judicial systems were at a critical situation, describing on July 21 as potentially “a dark day in political and judicial history.” Raja criticized the use of the state of laws against sedition and the Law of Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) to suppress dissent both in politics and journalism.
He also rejected speculation on internal agreements within the party, maintaining that PTI members remain united and committed to their political position. “We are not going back. If someone abandoned their reference, it does not mean that there is a deal,” he said.
When reaffirming the constitutional position of the party, Raja said: “Disqualification is only possible under articles 62 and 63. No one can be disqualified beyond that.” He added that the truth had really been criminalized and expressed concern about the erosion of freedom of expression.
The press conference took a controversial turn when a journalist asked if Raja’s rhetoric was aimed at keeping the founder of PTI after bars and asked about the nature of the planned protest. Raja responded calmly, stating that he had recently met with PTI Aliya Hamza leader to discuss organizational issues.
However, PTI MPA Farrukh Javed Moon interrupted, labeling the question of the “stupid” journalist and telling him to “lower his voice”, accusing him of being disrespectful. The confrontation led Moon to leave the press conference, while other journalists protested their behavior. Raja tried to de -desalize the situation and urged the restriction.
Despite the interruption, he reiterated PTI’s will to participate in dialogue and responsibility. “We want the truth to prevail, if someone deserves punishment, that justice takes its course. But let’s not punish political dissent,” he said.
Raja concluded by stating that PTI remains strong both inside and outside Parliament and dismissed the ongoing efforts to put aside the part as useless. “People are still with Imran Khan,” he said. “Either the constitutional amendment 27 or 28, the truth will not change.”
