Party chiefs warn against forming semi-military group for political purposes, advising legal committees instead
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has intervened to stop Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi from forming a controversial group dubbed the “Imran Khan Release Force.”
According to party sources, the intervention occurred both directly and through senior leaders when Afridi announced plans to create a special force to secure the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reportedly warned that any group labeled as a “force” with members taking political oaths could be deemed unconstitutional, illegal, and potentially militarized.
Sources said PTI leadership also contacted other opposition coalition figures, including Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, to ensure political coordination on the matter. The Chief Minister had intended to swear in the proposed members on February 22, but internal party objections delayed the plan, which may now be postponed until after Ramadan.
Senior PTI leaders have privately expressed concern that creating a quasi-organizational force could expose the party to legal and political complications. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan recommended pursuing Imran Khan’s release through legally established provincial, regional, and district-level political committees, a method consistent with past political campaigns.
The matter was also discussed in a recent political committee meeting, where participants were instructed to avoid public commentary. Reports suggest the “release force” idea was allegedly proposed to Afridi by PTI’s covert leader Murad Saeed, who is also considered his backer for the Chief Minister position.
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