PTI Warns of Assembly Walkout as Ayaz Sadiq Urges Dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Political tensions sharpened on Monday as the PTI warned it may boycott parliamentary proceedings if the government continued what it described as efforts to marginalise the opposition. In response, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq reiterated that dialogue remained the only viable path forward and said he was prepared to mediate between the ruling coalition and the PTI.

Speaking on the floor of the House, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for easing the political climate and cautioned that it would become “impossible” for his party to continue participating in the assembly if the current situation persisted. He emphasised that any attempt to impose a “minus-one formula” targeting PTI founder Imran Khan would be unacceptable, adding that the party’s lawmakers were prepared to resign en masse if such a move was made.

Barrister Gohar said Pakistan’s adversaries would benefit if a confrontation emerged between a major political party and a state institution, referring to heightened tensions following last week’s press conference by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general. Although he did not name the DG ISPR, he said some official statements had been “very disappointing” and expressed shock that Imran Khan had been labelled a security threat. He added that the former prime minister was “a guarantee for the continuation of democracy” rather than a danger to national security.

The PTI leader criticised new restrictions on meetings with Imran Khan in jail and urged the speaker to use his office to help defuse the situation. “There should be tolerance, not anarchy in politics,” he said.

Taking the floor later, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq stressed that dialogue was essential and urged the opposition to formally respond to his mediation offer. He said he would also request the government to engage constructively, adding that criticising state institutions served no productive purpose. “The army not only defends the borders but also fights terrorism,” he remarked. While acknowledging his previous mediation attempts had not succeeded, he said he remained ready to play a role.

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Meanwhile, the session also featured a detailed briefing by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who said the government’s efforts to widen the tax base had pushed the tax-to-GDP ratio into double digits for the first time in years. He reported total tax collection of Rs11.7 trillion last year, a 27pc year-on-year increase, with strong gains in income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty and customs duty.

The minister noted that digital monitoring of production in the sugar and cement sectors had produced significant additional revenues and would soon be expanded to tobacco and beverage industries.

The National Assembly also passed two bills — the National Agri-trade and Food Safety Authority Bill, 2025 and the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — while the Lok Virsa Amendment Bill, 2025 was introduced.