PTI's Gohar urges restraint and keeps door open for political talks

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has said the party will not take the law into its own hands, placing emphasis on peaceful political activity as tensions surrounding its mobilisation continue. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, he said Pakistan and the state remained the party's foremost priorities and urged those in power to understand public sentiment.

Gohar maintained that PTI had acted peacefully in the past and intended to continue doing so. He said the country could not afford further violence and argued that political disagreements should not be allowed to develop into confrontation. His remarks focused repeatedly on restraint and the need for political actors to avoid actions or rhetoric that could worsen tensions.

The PTI chairman also said political communication had not completely broken down and that negotiations remained possible. According to him, threats from either side would not improve the situation, while stakeholders should give priority to arrangements serving the country's interests rather than individual or partisan objectives. He rejected suggestions that PTI intended to attack Islamabad or deliberately create disorder in the federal capital.

Gohar said that if party supporters travelled to Islamabad, they would carry Pakistan's national flag and raise slogans in support of PTI founder Imran Khan. He reiterated that the party would not deliberately violate the law. He also claimed PTI had not been permitted to hold a long march during the past four years, while other political groups had been able to organise multiple marches during a shorter period.

The chairman said PTI wanted what it regarded as fair decisions in cases involving its founder. He claimed that around 1,500 party workers had been arrested and that elected representatives had also been detained. Gohar further alleged that ministers belonging to the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had faced arrests and questioned the reasons behind those actions. These assertions were presented by him as part of the party's broader concerns over its political activities and treatment of supporters.

Despite those grievances, Gohar said PTI would not answer what he described as provocation with violence. He said the party intended to continue raising its demands through democratic channels and called for implementation of court decisions. He also questioned actions involving the demolition of houses belonging to party supporters, arguing that citizens were entitled to seek explanations regarding such measures.

Gohar's comments indicate that PTI intends to maintain political pressure while keeping communication with other stakeholders open. No new negotiating timetable or formal agreement was announced during the remarks, leaving future political contacts as a key development to watch. The party's stated next step is to continue pursuing its demands through democratic and legal means while avoiding violent confrontation.