PTI News, Updates and Discussion

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May 9 riots: US joins UK, EU in voicing concerns over military trials of civilians​

Dawn.com
December 24, 2024

After the European Union and the United Kingdom, the United States has also raised concerns over the recent sentencing of 25 civilians by military courts for their involvement in the nationwide May 9 riots last year.

The series of concerns come after a military court last week sentenced 25 PTI activists to imprisonment ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots, which broke out following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.

While the PTI “rejected” the sentences, lawyers had also questioned the proceedings and the “disproportionately high conviction rate”.

In a post on X today, US State Department s

 

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Asad Qaiser reiterates international concern​

PTI activists were among the men sentenced by military courts last week — maintained its criticism of the verdicts.

Speaking to reporters in Peshawar today, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser said: “As you can see the entire world, such as the EU and the UK, have shown concern. It is also our concern how civilians were tried in military courts.”

While lamenting the SC’s decision to conditionally allow military courts to announce verdicts, Qaiser said, “When the court gives such autonomy and makes decisions beyond the Constitution and laws, then where should the public go?”

“What else do we have? The constitution gives us the right to peacefully protest, and raise voices at any place,” he said.

He added, “They passed the bill in Islamabad to prohibit protests. Is Islamabad not part of Pakistan? Does the Constitution not say that every political party, organisation and citizen can hold peaceful protests?

“Thus, the bill was against and in violation of the Constitution,” he said, challenging the government to prove if any PTI worker had “broken any pot or glass, or was violent”.

 

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Trials may jeopardise country’s GSP-Plus status, warns PTI’s Akram​

Calling the international community’s apprehensions “well-founded and justified”, the PTI yesterday expressed the fear that trying civilians in military courts could further isolate Pakistan on the global stage.

In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said that the EU’s concerns about the military courts’ decisions were valid, warning that they could affect Pakistan’s GSP-Plus status.

He stressed that Pakistan’s compliance with the ICCPR, which guaranteed due process and fair trials, was integral to its continued participation in the GSP+ scheme.

 

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In an open letter from prison, incarcerated PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid termed the military court verdicts a final blow to human rights, adding that the decision was “supported by the 26th amendment constitutional bench”.

In a handwritten letter from Kot Lakhpat Jail, Dr Rashid said the façade of democracy had been shattered. “How long will Pakistan bear these atrocities?” she questioned.

Dr Rashid lamented that justice had become non-existent since Feb 8, 2024. She said she and her party colleagues had been imprisoned for 20 months without conviction as there was no evidence against them.

 

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Imran Khan rejects house arrest deal, calls for remittance boycott​

News Desk

Taking to X, PTI founder alleged he was offered a deal in exchange for negotiations and political space for his party

 

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Omar Ayub claims ex-army chief Bajwa proposed talks with TTP​

Ex army chief general Bajwa said every issue can be resolved through dialogue: PTI leader

News Desk
December 28, 2024

Opposition Leader Omar Ayub

Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, has alleged that negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were proposed by former army chief general (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa during a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, distancing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the controversial decision.

Addressing a press conference, Ayub stated, "General Bajwa said every issue can be resolved through dialogue. It was discussed in the NSC that negotiations should be held with the TTP. This was not PTI's decision."

He criticised the state’s inability to curb fuel smuggling along the Afghan border, which he claimed amounts to Rs550 billion annually. "There isn’t a local official sitting on the border in Balochistan or KP. Who is responsible for this massive smuggling?" he asked.

Ayub dismissed the possibility of such revelations being widely covered by the media. "We live in the era of the internet, not the Pakistan Times of yesteryears. Information will find its way out, despite efforts to suppress it," he added.

The PTI stalwart also highlighted alleged financial neglect of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the federal government, asserting that the province has not received Rs1,500 billion owed to it. He claimed KP had contributed Rs3.3 billion to its health card scheme, while Islamabad contributed nothing substantial in return.

Ayub referenced past government claims from July 2022 that talks with the TTP were ongoing, emphasising that these discussions predated PTI’s government.

 

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Imran not seeking talks for sake of relief, says PTI​

Ayub says ex-army chief Bajwa suggested dialogue with Taliban in 2021.

 

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PTI-govt talks success chance diminished post-pressers​

Ahmad Fraz Khan
December 29, 2024

LAHORE: With the military spokesman indicting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), without naming it, in a press conference on Friday and the party responding in kind on Saturday, the chances of success of dialogue between the government and PTI have apparently got slimmer, at least in the short term.

The PTI insiders tried to control the impact of the post-DG ISPR press conference, saying that their leadership was responding to particular accusations, not trying to vitiate the negotiation process, which it hoped to succeed.

 

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Imran Khan rejects ISPR statement on talks with TTP​

Negotiations with the Taliban was a strategy devised by former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa: Imran Khan

News Desk
December 31, 2024

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has dismissed statements by the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), reiterating that negotiations with the Taliban were a strategy devised by former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Express News reported.

This was conveyed by lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, who briefed the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday. A six-member legal team had earlier met the former prime minister.

He said, “Imran Khan’s stance is clear—cases against him and PTI leaders are politically motivated and lack substance. These trials are a means of political targeting, not justice.”

He further noted that Khan reiterated his call for a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incidents and the November 26 protests. “Our leader seeks justice, not leniency, and has set a deadline of January 31 to assess the government’s seriousness in dialogue,” he added.

 

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Referring to the Taliban negotiations, Chaudhry quoted Khan as saying, “The ISPR’s position is incorrect. General Bajwa crafted the strategy regarding the establishment’s dealings with the Taliban. Afghanistan’s issues can only be resolved through dialogue, which remains a practical solution.”

Khan also criticised simultaneous diplomatic efforts and aerial bombardments, calling for a consistent approach. He criticised trials in military courts, describing the sentences as controversial. “These trials lack transparency and justice. The constitution must be upheld, and human rights protected,” he said.

The PTI team intends to participate in talks on January 2 and remains committed to addressing issues such as electoral mandates and constitutional amendments. “The nation suffers economically due to political unrest and mismanagement,” Chaudhry concluded.

 

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PTI demands ‘unfettered’ access to Imran, devoid of ‘monitoring’​

Dawn.com
January 7, 2025

PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan addressing the press conference in Islamabad on Jan 7. — DawnNewsTV

The PTI demanded on Tuesday that the government allow unhindered access to party founder Imran Khan for meetings devoid of any surveillance amid ongoing talks to bring down the political temperature.

Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into violence amid state repression.

Following the turmoil, Imran established a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also formed a committee with ruling coalition members.

The first meeting between the two sides took place on December 23, while the second one occurred on January 2. So far, the two sides have not made significant headway, as the PTI leadership sought frequent meetings with Imran to finalise their list of demands. The government and the opposition will meet again, possibly this week.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today with other party leaders, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party had “still not received any information about a meeting scheduled with Imran.”

He added that the negotiations should not be delayed in this manner.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan said, “We submitted a demand during our last meeting with the government to let us meet Imran Khan in an unmonitored and unfettered way, in which there is no monitoring of intelligence agencies.”

He said the present conditions of the room in Adiala Jail where meetings with Imran took place were “not conducive to free and open talks.”

“The government’s seriousness regarding the negotiations will be seen by enabling our meeting in an unrestricted environment by giving unfettered access to Imran because we will take our instructions from there.”

 

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Imran Khan condemns social media propaganda against Arab nations​

PTI founder clarified that accounts spreading false narratives are not connected to PTI.

News Desk
January 09, 2025

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former chairman Imran Khan has condemned social media propaganda against Arab nations and distanced himself from accounts spreading such content, Express News reported.

Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, shared details of a meeting with the PTI leader in jail, where Khan expressed his disapproval of the online smear campaign. He stated that he rejects any social media accounts propagating false narratives about Arab nations, his wife Bushra Bibi, or martyrs.

He made it clear that these accounts have no connection with PTI or its members while stressing that these individuals are not affiliated with the party, and their actions are not reflective of PTI’s stance.

 

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PTI asks lawmakers to help fill its coffers​

Mansoor Malik
January 9, 2025

LAHORE: Battered and cash-strapped, the PTI is now calling on its parliamentarians and ticket-holders to make financial contributions to help bear the essential expenses of the party.

The PTI leadership after seeking the approval of party founder Imran Khan sent an internal circular to the parliamentarians, ticket-holders and those holding important positions in the party to raise funds for running it.

The party is passing through “one of its most difficult times” in its history, the circular explains.

The circular, signed by PTI chairman Gohar Khan, secretary general Salman Akram Raja and additional secretary general Firdaus Shamim Naqvi has asked the party parliamentarians and ticket-holders to make a minimum contribution of Rs240,000 in two instalments.

The first instalment is due right away and the party expects that the contributors to continue making contributions “every six months”.

The party leadership also requested the parliamentary leaders and chief whips in the upper and lower houses as well as provincial assemblies for funds contribution at the earliest.

 

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PTI will present written demands to govt at third meeting per Imran’s instructions: info secretary​

Dawn.com
January 9, 2025

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Thursday said that party founder Imran Khan has authorised the party to present written demands during the next meeting with the government amid ongoing negotiations.

The information secretary echoed PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who said on Wednesday that Imran had permitted the submission of the party’s demands in writing to the government.

Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into violence amid state repression.

Following the turmoil, Imran established a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also formed a committee with ruling coalition members.

 

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The first meeting between the two sides took place on December 23, while the second one occurred on January 2. So far, the two sides have not made significant headway. The government and the opposition will meet again, possibly this week.

After delays, the PTI leaders were finally given access to Imran this week. Following the meeting, the PTI leaders held a press conference in which they demanded an “unmonitored” meeting with the party founder.

Addressing a press conference alongside PTI MNA Shahid Khattak, Akram said that despite the committee not being granted uninterrupted access, Imran has instructed the committee to present written demands formally.

“We have been unable to access Imran for three-and-a-half months,” Akram lamented. “We were not able to have an informative discussion.”

“Despite the lack of access, he showed seriousness,” Akram said. “He told us to write down our demands and submit them [to the government].”

The information secretary added that these demands would be “written and submitted” during the third meeting between the government and PTI committees.

Akram added that Imran also instructed the committee to form the judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024.

“Imran made it very clear that the judicial commission needs to be formed during this third meeting,” Akram said. “He said that if it is not done, he will think that the negotiations are not serious and it will be impossible to continue talks.”

However, the PTI information secretary questioned the government’s ability to meet or enforce the PTI’s demands.

“The government cannot arrange a meeting with Imran Khan in a jail in the province governed by their own chief minister,” he said, referring to the Punjab chief minister.

“If they cannot do that, how can we be confident they will enforce our demands? It places a big question mark on the government,” he stated, adding that the formation of the judicial commission in the third meeting “will show how serious the government is about continuing talks”.