PTI Threatens Boycott of Security Briefing Over Imran Khan Meeting Demand
Key Points:
- The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced it will boycott the upcoming in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) unless its leaders are allowed to meet incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.
- The decision follows a late-night meeting of the party’s political committee, which insisted on consulting Khan before attending the National Assembly session.
- PTI’s stance aligns with other opposition parties, including Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), who have also announced their boycott of the session.
- PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed that the party’s political committee decided unanimously to skip the session unless their demand is met.
- Despite PTI’s boycott, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will represent his province at the session, as the region has been significantly affected by recent terrorist attacks.
- The in-camera briefing is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 AM, where military officials will present a security overview amid increasing terrorist threats.
- The government had approached PTI to submit representatives for the session, with 14 names initially provided, including Barrister Gohar Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Aamir Dogar.
- PTI demanded a three-member delegation be allowed to meet Imran Khan before the briefing, but no meeting took place.
- The session will focus on Pakistan’s counterterrorism strategy and its concerns regarding Afghanistan’s alleged support for militant groups, a claim supported by the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
- Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that Pakistan aims to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a “proxy state” and has evidence of terrorist groups receiving funding from India.
- The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and military leadership will participate in the briefing, and civil leadership, including Nawaz Sharif, may be involved in future counterterrorism strategies.
PTI’s decision to boycott the session underscores deepening political divisions within Pakistan, particularly between the ruling government and opposition parties. The refusal to attend a critical security briefing may impact national counterterrorism policy discussions, especially as Pakistan grapples with increasing security threats and cross-border tensions with Afghanistan. With multiple opposition parties also refusing to attend, the effectiveness of the parliamentary security session remains in question.
