- PTI, TTAP show unity at Peshawar Sports Complex rally, rejects claims branding Imran a national security threat
- Achakzai cautions against governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with KP CM says unrest linked to broader state security policies
- Rally passes resolution declaring Imran “national hero,” elected Feb 8, 2024
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday warned that what it described as “repeated and coordinated attempts” to malign its incarcerated founder and former prime minister Imran Khan would only further boost his public support, as the party and its allies rallied in Peshawar to reject recent remarks “branding him a threat to national security.”
The stance was articulated at a rally held at Peshawar’s Sports Complex, jointly addressed by PTI leaders and their political ally, the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP). The gathering expressed solidarity with Imran Khan and demanded accountability for those behind what it termed “unwarranted and derogatory” statements made against him, warning that failure to check such narratives would deepen political polarization.
Addressing the rally, TTAP chief and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai said undemocratic forces felt threatened by genuine political movements such as the PTI and TTAP and were therefore resorting to “improper language and intimidation.” He said both parties wanted a Pakistan rooted in constitutional supremacy, rule of law and peaceful coexistence. Achakzai also cautioned against any move to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, terming it a step that could have serious repercussions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, also speaking at the rally, said the PTI should not be blamed for the persistence of unrest in the region, arguing that peace was linked to broader state security policies. He maintained that since assuming office, he had fulfilled all constitutional and legal responsibilities, but alleged that a misleading narrative was being constructed to portray the PTI as confrontational.
A resolution adopted at the rally declared Imran Khan a “national hero” and the “genuinely elected prime minister” following the February 8, 2024 polls. Moved by PTI MNA Sher Ali Arbab, the resolution categorically rejected claims that Imran or his associates posed any threat to national security and condemned the language used against dissenting political voices as being contrary to democratic norms.
The PTI’s response followed a press conference by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday, in which he accused the former premier of promoting anti-army rhetoric that had crossed into the realm of a national security threat.
The party announced it would hold another rally in Kohat on December 14.
Meanwhile, senior government figures from across party lines continued to criticise the PTI. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on X that targeting state institutions for political gains justified strong language, while leaders from PML-N, PPP and MQM-P reiterated support for the armed forces and accused the PTI of fueling instability through anti-army narratives.
