November 26: No Conspiracy, It Was Our Peaceful Protest and Constitutional Right, Says PTI

In Geo’s program “Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal”, PTI’s Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, stated that while the DG ISPR did not explicitly name PTI, the press conference was inappropriate.

Declaring PTI a disruptive party is unfair, and the DG ISPR should not have made the remarks he did.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee, said PTI should approach the dialogue process with an open heart.

Negotiations are a democratic practice, and such exchanges are common.

He added that if negotiations yield results before January 31, it would be a positive development.

He further assured that if PTI insists on meeting the founder, arrangements will be made.

Host Shahzad Iqbal analyzed that tough statements by the military spokesperson were casting shadows over the negotiations.

Discussions would be based solely on PTI’s charter of demands. He emphasized that negotiations are strictly between the government and PTI, and external influences are irrelevant.

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PTI initially stated that they wanted to communicate with the establishment.

By January 2, PTI is expected to present its demands in written form, which will clarify the situation.

Senator Siddiqui stressed that a single press conference should not discourage PTI, nor should it derail the negotiation process.

He affirmed that the government has no restrictions or conditions, whether PTI submits one or ten demands. The January 2 deadline offers PTI ample time to prepare its case.

PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram criticized the DG ISPR’s remarks, reiterating that November 26 was not a conspiracy but a peaceful protest and a constitutional right. Preventing such a protest was inappropriate. “If peaceful protest is a right for everyone, why isn’t it our right as well?” he asked.

He rejected claims that PTI is a disruptive party and reiterated the demand for CCTV footage related to May 9 incidents.

He questioned the absence of footage if PTI had indeed possessed weapons. Conversely, police firing footage exists.

Akram dismissed the Information Minister’s remarks as unimportant and reiterated that the DG ISPR’s statements were unwarranted.

PTI maintained that civilians should not face military trials and that allegations against workers lack solid evidence. “Military courts should not exist, as even the international community has raised concerns. Efforts to portray citizens as terrorists are unacceptable,” PTI concluded.