PTI leaders say Imran Khan’s release remains party’s 'ultimate objective'

LAHORE/QUETTA: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders on Thursday said the party remained focused on securing the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, rejecting criticism that it had drifted away from its central political objective.

In separate media interactions in Lahore and Quetta, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and the party’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter president Junaid Akbar Khan said the party was still pursuing Imran Khan’s freedom, while also criticising the government and the broader political situation.

Raja rejects claims PTI has been silenced

Speaking to reporters at the Lahore Press Club, Raja dismissed the suggestion that the PTI had been suppressed or pushed into silence. He said critics claiming the party had been sidelined were ignoring political realities and maintained that the PTI had become a major social force in the country.

Addressing the press alongside local PTI leaders, including Lahore president Mian Akram Usman, Raja said the party had endured political repression, harsh treatment of its leaders and workers, and harassment of their families. He said the leadership had not backed down and remained in what he described as protest mode.

He also warned that public anger was intensifying and said the party would continue to challenge what he called a system of oppression. Referring to future plans, Raja said the PTI could also launch a Jail Bharo Tehreek if required.

Commenting on the solitary confinement of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, Raja said those in power should curb what he described as excesses, adding that such actions were against laws in Pakistan and abroad.

Junaid Akbar speaks on Balochistan and alliance ties

In Quetta, Junaid Akbar Khan spoke to reporters after meeting PTI office-bearers and senior members of the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan alliance. He said the party’s ultimate objective continued to be the struggle for Imran Khan’s release, alongside the restoration of democracy and what he termed real freedom.

Junaid Akbar, who also serves as chairman of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, described Balochistan as a guarantor of Pakistan’s stability and called it one of the country’s most significant and beautiful regions. He said the province possessed abundant natural resources, a strategic location, border links, Gwadar Port and wide-ranging opportunities.

At the same time, he said weak governance had left residents deprived of basic necessities, including food, clothing, shelter and clean drinking water. Calling the situation in Balochistan deeply troubling, he expressed concern over ongoing developments in the province.

He said the answer to these issues lay in the rule of law, constitutional supremacy and democracy, adding that authority in Balochistan should rest with those who have public confidence. Referring to his meeting with Akhtar Mengal, Junaid Akbar said the BNP-M chief remained an ally and that the PTI would continue working with him.