A Subtle But Serious Warning
In the latest news, it’s not always the loud statements that hit the hardest, it’s the quiet ones. The kind that slip in during a press conference, without drama, just facts. That’s what happened when Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, a senior PTI leader, calmly warned that 39 PTI parliamentarians might be facing disqualification. The reason? The May 9 violence cases, with legal consequences still unfolding.
Everyone Has a Case Against Them
According to Gohar, the breakdown is worrying. Twenty-five Punjab Assembly members. Eleven MNAs. Three Senators. All staring down possible convictions. That’s just the number for now. If things shift toward Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the total could balloon to 75. And no one, not even Gohar himself, is completely safe. “I have six cases against me too,” he admitted. That line said a lot. The legal sword isn’t hovering over a few heads. It’s above the whole party.
From Public Squares to Legal Mazes
The party’s troubles don’t stop with the courts. PTI was denied permission to gather at D-Chowk, a politically symbolic site. They were told to move their public meeting to Sangjani instead. For many PTI parliamentarians, this isn’t just about security protocols, it feels like a deliberate move to mute the party’s public presence. Barrister Gohar views it as a strategic restriction, slowly narrowing the political space PTI once occupied.
May 9 Cases: The Legal Pressure Builds
The courts haven’t been idle. In Sargodha, an anti-terrorism court handed down 10-year sentences to PTI’s Ahmed Khan Bachar and 32 others. In Lahore, leaders like Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema were also sentenced to 10 years. Meanwhile, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted. The rulings seem to come in waves, sometimes harsh, sometimes not. There’s no clear pattern. Just pressure.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Could Be Next
Barrister Gohar pointed to another flashpoint, the KP Assembly. Legal proceedings there are still ongoing. He mentioned November 26 as a potential turning point. If convictions follow in that region too, the blow to PTI parliamentarians could be significant. It wouldn’t just weaken the party, it might shift the balance within the National Assembly. What’s unfolding isn’t just about individual lawmakers. It’s about the future makeup of parliament itself.
Legal Cases and Political Weight
It’s tempting to see this as just another legal process playing out. But Gohar’s voice carried something else, something more layered. He didn’t talk of conspiracies outright, but his words suggested political targeting wrapped in legal form. “There’s a sword over every head,” he said, and it wasn’t just metaphor. For PTI lawmakers, it feels real, immediate. This isn’t just about protests that happened months ago. It’s about what future, if any, the party and its elected lawmakers still have.
What This Means for PTI
- 39 lawmakers already face disqualification risk from May 9 violence charges
- The number could rise to 75 if KP members are convicted
- Several senior PTI parliamentarians have received 10-year jail sentences
- Party rallies are being restricted, further limiting public engagement
- Barrister Gohar sees legal action as part of political suppression
