ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that he received no prior notice about a recent meeting of the government officials with a United States delegation, The News reported on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Gohar emphasised that neither an invitation card was sent to him nor was there any contact made via WhatsApp regarding discussions.
He reiterated PTI's stance that any agreements should prioritise the country's interests and stressed the necessity of support from heads of friendly nations during their visits to Pakistan.
He also clarified: "As far as I know, I have not received any call or message; I have not seen any card or invitation from the American embassy. If there was any contact with us, we would definitely go."
In a related development, PTI senior leader and Leader of Opposition in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz criticised Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq for not inviting leaders of opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate and Barrister Gohar in his meeting with US Congressmen while inviting other party members.
He contended that not inviting opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate is the speaker's malice; Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has not harmed PTI but the prestige of the House.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Atif Khan, who was invited to the meeting, said that there was no discussion in front of him regarding the meeting of US Congressmen with the party founder or his release.
After the meeting, Atif Khan said that he and Dr Amjad were present in the meeting from the PTI, and it has come to his knowledge that Barrister Gohar and Omar Ayub were invited.
"I do not know whether the two leaders were invited or not; people from political parties and federal ministers were present in the meeting," he noted.
He said that there was an official event where the Congressman spoke, and bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US were discussed; there was no discussion in front of him regarding the meeting with the founder of PTI or his release.
Meanwhile, PTI information secretary Waqas Akram asserted that his party would not hold dialogue with the puppets (rulers) who had neither the mandate nor the authority to even appoint a station house officer (SHO).
Waqas made it clear that the PTI founder always placed the country’s interests above all else and would only hold talks to uphold constitutional supremacy, true democracy, the rule of law, and real independence.
He told Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to worry about his own "precarious" future and that of his leadership instead of Imran Khan and the PTI.