Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Barrister Gohar on Wednesday said his party had taken a principled stance that matters of national security should be discussed through a formal briefing inside Parliament, reported 24NewsHd TV channel.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Gohar said PTI had sought a joint session briefing on the situation in Afghanistan and the ongoing Iran-US tensions. He stressed that such discussions should be held within Parliament to strengthen democratic institutions.
“We have always supported the country on issues of national security, whether it was the Pak-India conflict, Pak-Afghanistan tensions or the Iran-US conflict. Our statements are on record,” he said, adding that the armed forces belong to the nation and their sacrifices are acknowledged.
Gohar said terrorism emanating from Afghanistan should not be allowed safe havens and called for action against militants. At the same time, he described Afghanistan as a brotherly Islamic country and said the option of dialogue should remain open. He also stated that Afghan soil should not be used against Pakistan.
Referring to political engagement, Gohar said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had approached him in the assembly and conveyed a message to attend the prime minister’s briefing. He expressed gratitude for the gesture, saying the matter had been placed before the party’s political committee, though some reservations remained.
The PTI chairman criticised what he termed the government’s “strict attitude,” alleging that party leaders were not being allowed to meet the party’s founder or his family, nor being granted access to his personal doctors. He said under such circumstances, participation in what he described as a “photo session” would not be appropriate.
“We are a political party and do not take decisions under social media pressure. There is no compromise on national security, but we cannot sit with you merely for optics,” he said.
Gohar maintained that PTI, which secured more than 30 million votes and has over 300 parliamentarians, could not be sidelined. “If you isolate us, you may hold your own photo session. We will remain separate,” he added.