A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation, led by Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, met National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday to seek his assistance in arranging a meeting with the party founder.
The delegation included senior leaders Asad Qaiser, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Latif Khosa, Amjad Ali Khan, Shahram Tarakai, and others. During discussions in the speaker’s chamber, PTI leaders expressed frustration over family members and party officials being denied access to the PTI founder and requested Ayaz Sadiq’s intervention.
Barrister Gohar told the speaker, “You are a senior politician. You have helped us before; now also play your role for this meeting.” PTI members repeatedly urged the speaker to facilitate the visit, emphasizing that the inability to meet the founder has created discontent within the party.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq responded by calling on the PTI to return to parliamentary processes, particularly standing committees, where key legislative work occurs. He emphasized that constructive engagement and dialogue are essential to resolving political challenges. “I have always been willing to act as a bridge between the government and the opposition, but PTI must also be ready to sit for talks,” he said, expressing frustration over the party’s reluctance to engage with the government.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser, speaking to journalists in Islamabad, said the party had conveyed its core demands to the speaker, including unrestricted access for the founder’s family and party leaders and the issuance of a notification for the appointment of the opposition leader in the assembly. Qaiser warned that if these demands are not met, PTI may not allow parliamentary proceedings to continue.
The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing that political dialogue and parliamentary participation remain critical. Asad Qaiser also noted that the opposition delegation will meet the chairman of the Senate on Monday to further discuss these issues.
