PTI decries raids, arrests in KP; Gohar urges dialogue

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday called for political dialogue to end the country's current standoff, as the party reported raids on two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ministers' homes and the arrest of a party-backed MNA from South Waziristan.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore during a visit to show solidarity with Imran Khan's arrested sisters, Gohar said four members of the PTI founder's family and eight members of the National Assembly were in custody, while some provincial ministers were missing. He said political disputes can only be settled through political means and that "in politics, no word is final."

Gohar named Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri and PTI leaders as people ready to engage in talks. He accused the federal government of not responding seriously to PTI's negotiation offers and said "there is currently no meaningful dialogue."

He described the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as an "unannounced Governor's Rule," claiming the federal government had effectively taken control of provincial affairs despite PTI's mandate. He also rejected allegations that PTI planned to attack state institutions during its September 27 march to Islamabad, saying the party intends to keep protests peaceful.

In a statement, PTI said a raid was conducted at the residence of K-P Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Minister Syed Fakhar Jehan, and a separate police contingent raided Irrigation Minister Riaz Khan's home in Bannu. The party also alleged that the residence of MNA Muhammad Zubair Khan Wazir, elected from NA-42, was surrounded for hours by unidentified individuals, his family held hostage, and that he was arrested after an exchange of fire. These allegations could not be independently verified.

PTI called the incidents a grave assault on democratic traditions and demanded an impartial inquiry, action against police officers involved, and protection for affected families.

Separately, K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told a provincial cabinet meeting that peaceful protest is a constitutional and legal right and vowed to continue it. "If someone says we should not protest, let them remove this provision from the Constitution," he said. He claimed plainclothes "goons" had targeted party workers, office-bearers and elected representatives in recent days, and that Communications and Works Minister Shakil Ahmad Khan survived an abduction and murder attempt. He also alleged MNA Fazal Muhammad Khan was abducted in Mardan and that roads to and from K-P were being closed.

Afridi urged provincial officials not to follow illegal orders from any other institution and criticised federal statements about the province, including those by PM's adviser Rana Sanaullah and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.