Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that the party’s future participation in meetings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) was conditional upon whether consultations would be allowed with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.
Neither Barrister Gohar nor Barrister Syed Ali Zafar — who represent PTI in JCP meetings — have attended recent sessions of the council during which, in separate meetings last week, the commission had recommended the confirmation of 31 additional judges as permanent judges.
JCP is the key judicial body responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary
Speaking to the media at the Supreme Court today, Gohar said, “The party will take a final decision whether or not to attend future meetings of the JCP after having consultation with the PTI founder”.
When asked why PTI skipped meetings of the commission, Barrister Gohar explained that the status of the commission had changed after the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the establishment of the new courts, such as the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
He said that the party had serious reservations about the 26th Constitutional Amendment as well, which was enacted into law in 2024.
However, Gohar maintained that despite that, PTI “still wanted to present the party’s point of view and give input in the selection of judges for the superior judiciary, but then our meetings with the PTI founder were severed”.
He maintained that due to no contact with Imran, the party is unable to consult him.
“Just as we boycotted participation from other committees, we also decided to stay away from the meetings of the JCP,” he explained.
“We will make a proper decision in this regard after meeting with Khan sahib,” he added.
Meetings with the PTI founder have been suspended till February 8, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said in December last year.
Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023.
‘NA opposition leader not appointed at behest of Nawaz’
On the matter of the appointment of Mehmood Khan Achakzai as the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Gohar dismissed reports that the appointment was made at the behest of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
On January 16, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Achakzai was appointed leader of the opposition in the NA.
Gohar held that it was at the discretion of the speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, to issue the notification.
“I understand that it was done by the speaker National Assembly for which we were grateful,” he said.
Responding to a question regarding the appointment of the opposition leader in the Senate, Gohar said, “We have been told that the notification of the opposition leader in the Senate will also be done in a few days”.
He detailed that the PTI had filed nomination papers before the Senate Secretariat, hoping that the process would be completed today.
“Since the PTI founder has already nominated leaders of the opposition in both the Houses, it will be better if they are appointed soon,” he said.
In October 2025, PTI had nominated Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as its candidates for the slots of leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.
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