Peshawar: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday called for the release of detained party leaders and renewed his willingness to hold political negotiations, saying dialogue should be pursued to prevent further political tensions.
Speaking to reporters outside the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Gohar questioned the continued absence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati following the imposition of governor's rule and emergency measures in the province on October 11.
He welcomed the court's decision to refer petitions about their whereabouts and those of other PTI politicians to the PHC chief justice to form a larger bench. Gohar said court decisions should apply equally to everyone and maintained that political disputes should be resolved through discussions rather than confrontation.
He also called for an end to what he described as political victimisation and demanded the release of detained members of the National Assembly, provincial lawmakers and Imran Khan's sisters.
PHC refers detention petitions to chief justice
Earlier on Tuesday, a two-member PHC bench referred petitions concerning the detention of Afridi, Swati and several other PTI leaders to the chief justice after government authorities failed to submit reports on their whereabouts.
The court had directed the provincial government, police and other law enforcement agencies on October 20 to clarify whether the politicians were in custody and under what legal authority.
KP Advocate General Sanaullah Khan requested another three days to provide the replies, saying his office was awaiting information from the home department and law enforcement agencies.
The petitions followed the federal government's imposition of governor's rule and emergency measures in KP. A federal minister confirmed on October 12 that Afridi and some members of his cabinet had been placed in preventive custody, although their locations have not been publicly disclosed.
The court has not yet determined whether the detentions were lawful. Gohar also raised concerns over restrictions on access to PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned at Adiala jail.
He said the party had repeatedly sought meetings with Khan and raised concerns about his medical treatment, but its requests had not been addressed despite court directions. Referring to lawyer Salman Safdar's meeting with Khan on Monday, Gohar said the discussion concerned pending legal cases.
He argued that arranging such meetings earlier could have prevented some disputes over access to the former prime minister. Safdar met Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for approximately 40 minutes after submitting requests to prison authorities. The lawyer said he had met Khan after seven months and Bushra after 11 months. The meeting allowed them to discuss legal matters, although Safdar said the time available was insufficient to address every pending case.
PTI chairman rejects Barrister Saif's remarks
Gohar also rejected statements made by PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif concerning efforts to arrange meetings with Khan. Saif had previously suggested that party figures had opportunities to meet the PTI founder but did not take them.
Gohar disputed that account, saying the party had sought access through court proceedings and other channels. He questioned why individuals communicating with officials were being approached while other members of the PTI leadership had not received similar invitations.
The disagreement has highlighted differences within the party over access to its imprisoned founder and its approach to political engagement.
Despite the disputes, Gohar maintained that PTI remained willing to negotiate. He said political issues required serious, good faith discussions, adding that his party had never opposed dialogue in principle. The remarks come amid uncertainty over KP's administration, the detention of elected representatives, and access to Khan.
For PTI, the court proceedings and proposed negotiations concern separate issues. The PHC petitions seek legal clarification of the politicians' detention, while political talks could address disagreements between the party and government authorities. The PHC chief justice will now consider the request to constitute a larger bench. No order for the release or production of the detained leaders was announced during Tuesday's proceedings.
