Islamabad, September 1, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar announced Monday that the party will begin holding its own “parallel assembly” outside Parliament starting tomorrow.
Addressing reporters alongside senior PTI leaders, Gohar said if directed by the party founder, he and other lawmakers were ready to resign from the National Assembly. He added that PTI members would not contest seats vacated by MNAs who have been sentenced and that the party would boycott future assembly sessions.
“Our voice was suppressed, our microphones were turned off inside Parliament. This is not democracy, this is fascism,” Gohar said. He claimed the PTI mandate had been “stolen,” but stressed that the founder had still called for dialogue.
Criticizing the Election Commission of Pakistan, Gohar said it had issued certificates to all political parties except PTI. “What use is such a fabricated Parliament and its committees? From tomorrow, we will hold our own assembly outside Parliament,” he declared.
Former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser, also present at the briefing, said the party’s organizations were actively engaged with flood victims. He added that PTI would request its founder to appeal for fundraising in support of those affected.
Qaiser warned that floodwaters were moving toward Sindh and urged the United Nations and federal government to mobilize international assistance, cautioning that the disaster would severely impact agriculture. He further alleged that PTI workers had faced harassment during relief efforts. “Even in the midst of floods, political victimization is ongoing. We have reports that our relief camps were dismantled,” he said.
