PTI Chairman Gohar Blocks Plan for Imran Khan Release Force

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has stepped in to prevent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi from creating an “Imran Khan Release Force.”

According to party sources, Gohar’s intervention came after the KP chief minister publicly announced the formation of a dedicated force to secure the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Barrister Gohar reportedly warned that creating any group described as a “force,” especially one requiring members to take an oath for a political purpose, could be unconstitutional, illegal, and possibly considered militant activity.

He is said to have engaged opposition figures, including Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, to build political consensus within PTI and the broader opposition alliance against the plan.

Insiders said the KP chief minister had intended to administer the oath to members on February 22. However, the plan was quietly shelved following internal objections. Reports suggest Afridi may now postpone the oath until after Ramazan.

Senior PTI officials privately admitted that the proposal alarmed the party’s central leadership. They feared that forming a quasi-official “force” could invite legal scrutiny and accusations of promoting political confrontation.

Barrister Gohar advised that, if mobilisation for Khan’s release is necessary, the party should form lawful political committees at provincial, regional, and district levels. This approach has been historically used for political movements without constitutional complications.

The matter was also discussed at a recent PTI political committee meeting, where members were instructed to avoid public comments, reflecting an attempt to manage the internal controversy carefully.

The episode highlights tensions within PTI between leaders favoring aggressive mobilisation and those advocating a cautious, legally safe strategy amid a tense political environment.

It is reported that PTI leader Murad Saeed proposed the idea of an “Imran Khan Release Force” to KP CM Afridi, who was nominated by Saeed for the top provincial post. Khan reportedly did not know Afridi personally before this.