Gohar calls for security briefing in parliament

PTI chief says party's parliamentary presence not acknowledged

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Wednesday said his party had adopted a "principled stance" on national security and demanded that briefings be held in parliament.

The federal government on Tuesday decided to convene a closed door briefing for heads of political parties and parliamentary leaders on the fast-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 allowed immediately as per court orders.

Speaking to the media at 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 being acknowledged.

"When we are not given importance and our presence in parliament is not recognised, why should we attend [the session]?" he asked.

He said the authorities were not allowing meetings with PTI founder, nor facilitating access for his family members or personal physicians. "Your attitude is extremely harsh, and then you expect us to sit with you for a photo session. That will not happen," he 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 gratitude to the JUI-F chief for his outreach, calling his opinion respectable, but added that the matter had been placed before the party's political committee due to reservations.

He maintained that PTI had consistently stood by the country on national security issues, whether during tensions with India, Afghanistan or the Iran-US dispute. "Our statements are on record," he said.