Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai has said the party’s ongoing long march will not be called off under any external pressure, stressing that the final decision on whether to end the protest rests solely with the party’s founder and jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan.
Speaking to Pakistani media on Wednesday, Yousafzai said the protest would continue until the party leadership decided otherwise. PTI supporters are demanding Imran Khan’s release, unrestricted access to meet him and the release of other party leaders and activists currently in detention.
The protest has added fresh tension to Pakistan’s already volatile political environment, while conflicting signals continue to emerge over the possibility of dialogue between the government and the PTI. The opposition party has pledged to maintain its street movement, even as political negotiations remain a subject of discussion.
Addressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Yousafzai urged the government to stop “wasting time” discussing negotiations through the media and instead take concrete steps to address what he described as the PTI’s legitimate demands.
“If the government really has the authority, it should accept the demands and resolve the ongoing crisis,” he said.
Yousafzai also called for restrictions on meetings with Imran Khan to be lifted, urged authorities to transfer the former prime minister to a hospital and demanded that hearings in cases against him be conducted.
He further called for the release of all women detained in connection with the PTI, including Imran Khan’s sister. In his view, a change in the government’s approach towards political detainees would be necessary to restore political stability.
Yousafzai also addressed Pakistan’s security situation and the controversy surrounding Sohail Afridi, expressing concern over what he described as a negative campaign against the political figure.
He argued that terrorism could not be eliminated by taking away the political mandate of any individual or group. Instead, he called for dialogue involving political forces and all relevant stakeholders to identify the root causes of militancy and develop a sustainable solution.
According to Yousafzai, the federal government should coordinate with provincial authorities and bring all stakeholders to the negotiating table as part of efforts to combat terrorism.
He warned that attempting to remove political figures through undemocratic means, rather than resolving disputes through dialogue, could further complicate the situation.
Yousafzai also cautioned that any attempt to remove Sohail Afridi through undemocratic means could generate further concern among tribal communities. Such a move, he said, would not serve Pakistan’s national interests and would not help reduce terrorism.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Barrister Gohar Khan has also outlined the party’s position on negotiations with the government. He said the prime minister had offered talks subject to certain conditions, while the government was simultaneously imposing various restrictions on the PTI.
Gohar argued that political parties should generally engage in negotiations without preconditions. The PTI, he said, had not refused to negotiate but wanted any dialogue to take place without prior conditions.
Criticising the government’s approach, Gohar said sitting at the negotiating table would be more productive than holding news conferences to discuss issues that could instead be resolved through direct dialogue.
“If even half the time spent at press conferences had been devoted to direct negotiations, we could have made much greater progress towards resolving the crisis,” he said.
Gohar also said the PTI remained in contact with several government officials and that efforts were under way to find a political solution to the ongoing crisis through dialogue.
Yousafzai’s remarks, however, make clear that Imran Khan’s decision remains central to determining the future of the PTI’s street movement. For now, the party appears to be keeping both avenues open—continued protest on the streets and the possibility of negotiations with the government.
Source: Pakistani media