PTI Will Not Resign from Assemblies, Will Continue to Raise Its Voice, Says Shaukat Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai has accused the federal government of building a narrative linking the party to terrorists, challenging the authorities to prove their allegations. He also said PTI would not resign from the provincial or national assemblies and would instead continue to raise its voice from within parliament.

Speaking on Samaa News, Yousafzai criticised the federal government’s decision to impose an emergency, describing it as a highly unwise move. He accused the government of saying one thing and doing another.

He said PTI had repeatedly clarified that it was not opposed to the fight against terrorism and stood with the country’s security institutions. However, he maintained that the government should develop a consensus-based security policy by taking all stakeholders on board.

Yousafzai said his party had previously complained about a shortage of vehicles and requested the provision of transport, adding that the vehicles had arrived within a single day. He again challenged the federal government to substantiate its allegations of contacts between PTI and terrorists.

He also described calls for surrounding the Governor House as political slogans rather than a formal course of action. According to him, government ministers had repeatedly attempted to provoke the opposition through press conferences.

The PTI leader confirmed that the party had not decided to resign from the assemblies and would continue its political struggle from within the legislative forums. He added that the party’s long march was continuing and that an opposition meeting was scheduled for the following day to discuss the future course of action.

Yousafzai also claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had been arrested from the Chief Minister’s House.

However, Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali offered a different account, claiming that Afridi and PTI leader Junaid Akbar had surrendered themselves for arrest.

Wali criticised PTI’s performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that the party was deeply divided and that its political movement had revolved around retaining the chief minister’s position.

He accused PTI of wasting 13 years of the province’s development opportunities and damaging its law and order situation, police system and the intellectual development of young people.

According to Wali, the province’s health and education systems have deteriorated, while several universities are approaching a point where they may have to close. He said restoring peace and security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the most pressing challenge.

The statements come amid escalating tensions between the federal government and PTI over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the proposed emergency measures and the party’s ongoing political campaign.