Pakistan’s PTI questions legality of party restrictions amid rising political tensions

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan questioned on Monday what he described as an informal move to sideline his party, asking how the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could effectively bar it from politics without issuing any formal notification.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gohar said PTI had received no official document confirming its disqualification or withdrawal of electoral status. He noted that PTI did not field candidates in recent Balochistan local government polls and had contested the February national elections through the Sunni Ittehad Council after losing its party symbol.

“If no certificate has been issued, then on what basis has the Election Commission banned PTI?” he said.

Gohar warned that attempts to restrict political participation would not ease Pakistan’s broader governance crisis. He said the country remained politically gridlocked more than two years after the May 9 unrest, adding that a nation of 250 million needed Parliament to set direction rather than deepen divisions.

He argued that de-escalation and political dialogue were essential, saying even countries once at war eventually built shared institutions. “Some people, including those linked to Form-47 controversies, do not want Pakistan to move forward,” he said.

He urged authorities not to politicize visits between jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his family, saying such matters should not be turned into public controversies. Ongoing friction among state institutions and political actors, he said, was intensifying public frustration. “We have been blaming each other for too long. Politics requires keeping doors open,” he added.

Gohar maintained that Imran Khan remained central to Pakistan’s political landscape despite mounting legal and political pressures. He claimed that “70% of Pakistan’s people” continued to support him and called on authorities to allow regular meetings between Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and their families.

He also dismissed speculation about imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying such talk was aimed at destabilizing the PTI-led province and provoking unrest.

He warned that prolonged political confrontation risked further eroding public confidence. “People are watching, and we are so entangled among ourselves that hope is slipping away,” he said, urging steps to reduce tensions and restore normal political engagement.