Barrister Gohar Khan stated that the public gathering has been postponed in accordance with directives from PTI founder Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Wednesday announced that it had postponed its planned April 9 rally at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh as the country prepares to host high‑stakes US‑Iran peace talks in Islamabad.
The decision was announced by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Senate Opposition Leader, following successful discussions between the federal government and opposition leaders at Parliament House in Islamabad.
The move came amid efforts to prioritise regional diplomacy and ensure a peaceful environment ahead of the key negotiations.
A government delegation — including Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and MNAs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar — met opposition leaders at Parliament House to request the postponement of the PTI rally.
The development followed Tarar’s address on the National Assembly floor, where he urged the opposition to reconsider its protest plans. He stressed the importance of national unity as Pakistan prepares to host delegations from the US and Iran for ceasefire negotiations in Islamabad.
After the meeting, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said the PTI’s political committee had agreed to defer the public gathering in response to the government’s request.
However, PTI chief Barrister Gohar Khan clarified that the decision to postpone the rally came under directives from the jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. He added that the party had received instructions from Khan through Barrister Salman Safdar, who met the PTI leader at Adiala jail earlier in the day.
Barrister Gohar explained that the decision followed consultation with the PTI political committee, which convened to review ongoing strategies and party coordination. He stressed that all political actions are being undertaken in the interest of Pakistan, emphasising that the party continues to prioritise the nation above all else.
He welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran, expressing hope that it would become permanent.
Since the outbreak of the conflict on February 28, Pakistan—having developed a close relationship with US President Donald Trump—has emerged as a key channel of communication between Tehran and Washington.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the US, Iran, and their allies had agreed to a two-week ceasefire “everywhere” following Pakistan’s mediation. He has since invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad to resolve all outstanding disputes.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to the leadership of both countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, April 10, 2026, to further negotiate a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes,” the prime minister said in a post on X.
In a separate post, PM Shehbaz noted that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Tehran’s participation in the “Islamabad talks” to finalise a settlement of the conflict.
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