PTI Has No Plans to Dissolve KP Assembly, Says Barrister Gohar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party has no intention of dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, while reaffirming that the October 4 long march will go ahead.
Speaking after a meeting with Pakistan Peoples Party leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Gohar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would continue in office and had the support of PTI founder Imran Khan. Recent reports have also quoted Gohar as rejecting speculation about dissolving the provincial assembly or replacing the chief minister.
The PTI chairman said the party’s long march remained scheduled for October 4. The party had earlier postponed its planned September 27 march to October 4 following a decision by its political committee.
Gohar said provincial autonomy should be exercised in accordance with the Constitution. He added that certain developments had raised concerns and that these concerns needed to be addressed.
PTI Proposes All-Parties Conference
Regarding an All-Parties Conference (APC), Gohar said PTI had presented its proposals to the PPP and expected a positive response within a day or two.
He said the PTI delegation had approached the PPP in its capacity as an opposition party and had not received any instructions from elsewhere.
Gohar stressed that political parties had an important role to play in strengthening democracy, adding that political stability, national security and provincial autonomy were important for the country.
Nayyar Bukhari Says APC Is Part of Democratic Process
Speaking on the occasion, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said opposition leaders had visited the PPP office and proposed an All-Parties Conference.
He said holding an APC was part of the democratic process and that political parties should sit together when crises emerge. He added that the PPP considered consultation and engagement with political parties on constitutional and democratic matters important.
Bukhari said the proposal from the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan would be conveyed to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He added that the opposition delegation would subsequently be informed of Bilawal Bhutto’s position.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Allama Nasir Abbas said the country was going through a difficult period and that a sense of hopelessness had spread. He called for all political stakeholders to sit together and discuss the situation.
