The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday skipped an in-camera civil-military national security briefing on escalating tensions with India but maintained it remained steadfast in countering any aggression from the neighboring nation through national unity.
Since last month’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has sought to blame Pakistan, scaling down diplomatic ties; cancelling visas for Pakistani nationals; closing the Wagah-Attari border; and holding in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty. In response, Pakistan has similarly closed its borders; denied its airspace to Indian owned and operated airlines; and warned that any attempt to divert its share of water will be seen as an act of war. Amidst a looming potential of Indian military aggression in Pakistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressed an in-camera briefing of political leaders on the evolving situation.
In a statement issued after a meeting of its political committee, the PTI announced that it condemned terrorism in all its forms, manifestations and expressions. Referring to founder Imran Khan, it said he had continued to address the nation from behind bars, consistently denouncing terrorism while emphasizing the importance of unity, cohesion and internal stability. This, it said, reflected “the mindset of a true national leader.”
Stressing that its position on national defense was unchanged in that the PTI would safeguard the country and its people from the frontlines in case of any external aggression, the party recalled this was reiterated in a formal resolution adopted on its foundation day. The resolution, it said, had demonstrated the PTI’s serious and unwavering commitment to national security, sovereignty and unity, and its readiness to shoulder responsibility at all levels.
Lamenting that the government had failed to convene an all-parties conference on the matter to chart a united course of action going forward, it claimed the Imran Khan had not supported political point-scoring in times of national crises. It regretted that the briefing did not aim to build national consensus or express willingness to include Imran Khan.
“For these reasons,” the statement read, “PTI does not deem it necessary to attend the government briefing. Taking all these factors into account, the committee has unanimously decided that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not participate in the government’s planned briefing.”
Criticizing the decision, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said it sought to link national unity and solidarity to Imran Khan’s release. “This amounts to making patriotism conditional,” he said, recalling that despite many Khan’s government’s imprisoning several opposition leaders at the time of the Pulwana incident, the then-opposition parties had participated to preserve national unity.
“The homeland and its security are far more important than personalities and leadership,” he added.