Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared that it will boycott the in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) unless its leaders are granted access to incarcerated party founder Imran Khan. Following a late-night political committee meeting, PTI issued a statement insisting that its leaders must meet Khan before attending today’s crucial National Assembly session. The party made it clear that its participation hinges on this demand being fulfilled.

PTI’s stance follows the decision of the multi-party opposition alliance, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, to boycott the session. Additionally, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also announced their parties would not attend.

Amid these developments, PTI leaders urged the central leadership to convene a meeting and seek permission from Khan regarding their participation. After extensive deliberations, PTI reaffirmed that its attendance was contingent on being allowed to meet the former prime minister first.

PTI’s Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, confirmed that an emergency meeting was held to finalize the party’s position. It was unanimously decided that PTI would abstain from the session unless its leaders were granted access to Khan.

According to party insiders, several core committee members objected to the initial submission of names for the session, arguing that Chief Whip Aamir Dogar had done so without consulting the party’s political and core committees.

Earlier, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had approached PTI for nominations. In response, the party named 14 representatives, including Barrister Gohar Khan, Asad Qaiser, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Dogar, Ali Muhammad Khan, Barrister Ali Zafar, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.