PTI to continue protest until meaningful dialogue

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has thrashed out a strategy for future negotiations, resolving to continue its ‘ongoing protest’ until productive dialogue with the government.

A five-member PTI negotiation committee, led by the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, will soon announce its plan of action. 

During a meeting in Peshawar, PTI leaders discussed the protest and the possibility of negotiations. It was agreed that while the protest will continue, the door to dialogue would remain open, with efforts to engage all stakeholders. 

The informal meeting condemned the government’s handling of peaceful PTI demonstrator on November 26 and demanded the immediate formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events at D-Chowk, and determine who was responsible for firing, and uncover the reasons behind it. 

PTI leaders expressed dismay over the government’s actions, highlighting that despite the party’s intention to address its concerns within parliament, its leaders and workers face an onslaught of fabricated cases, forcing them into legal battles. 

The meeting reaffirmed PTI’s commitment to its core demands, including the restoration of what it said is a “stolen mandate,” the release of party leader Imran Khan and other political workers, an end to severe human rights violations, and the re-establishment of the rule of law in the country. 

The meeting was also attended by Opposition Leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, former provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai, MNAs Asif Khan and Muhammad Ahmed Chattha. 

Talking to the media, Shaukat Yousafzai criticized the government ministers’ dismissive attitudes, saying labeling a political party and its workers as terrorists undermines democratic principles. 

Yousafzai also emphasised that while PTI continues its collaborative efforts under Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to combat terrorism alongside the military and police, and to ensure lasting peace in Kurram through tribal grand jirgas, some inept ministers were issuing threats of imposing governor’s rule in the province.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has taken aim at the PTI leadership and its protest strategy, saying that revealing what the party agreed upon on November 26 would cause them further embarrassment.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif responded to Opposition Leader Omar Ayub’s speech, questioning the contradictory accounts of fatalities from the November 26 protests. “It’s been 12 to 13 days, and they still can’t provide clarity on whether the deaths were 12, 278, or thousands. No identity cards, funerals, graves, or relatives have emerged to substantiate these claims,” he said.

Asif accused the PTI of misleading the public with baseless statements, calling it an insult to the nation’s collective conscience.

“Their internal disagreements are evident; every leader gives a different account, and their disarray is on full display,” he said.

The minister also mocked PTI’s alleged retreat from protest. He claimed that when leaders fled from Islamabad, Bushra Bibi said that senior PTI figures had abandoned their workers at D-Chowk.

Accusing the PTI of playing a “provincialism card,” Asif referenced Omar Ayub’s familial ties to former president Gen Ayub Khan, alleging that Ayub’s policies contributed to Bangladesh’s separation.

He also criticised PTI’s handling of governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pointing out the failure to maintain peace in Parachinar and accusing the chief minister of abandoning his responsibilities to join protests in Islamabad.

Asif further ridiculed PTI’s repeated failures, stating, “This was their third attempt at a march, and it too ended in failure. Videos clearly show who fired shots, who fled, and who left their workers behind.”

The defence minister dismissed PTI’s call for civil disobedience, recalling a similar failed attempt a decade ago when PTI urged people to burn utility bills and stop paying them.

“Even now, no one will heed their call. Overseas Pakistanis will continue sending remittances, and the public will pay their bills,” he said.

Asif warned the PTI against sowing discord and undermining national unity. “Using divisive rhetoric in this House is a betrayal of the nation. Their words and actions reveal their desperation and defeat,” he said, adding, “If their workers knew what they agreed to on November 26, they would face even greater humiliation.”

Asif also criticized PTI’s reliance on women as human shields during protests, remarking, “When a party’s ambitions are led by such tactics and audacity, it signals its decline. Pakistan is still grappling with the consequences of their four years of rule.”