ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan on Monday demanded that the government immediately withdraw from the Donald Trump-led Board of Peace, refrain from involvement in the Iran conflict, and promptly reverse recent increases in petroleum product prices.
Speaking at a press conference, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, joined by Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP) leaders Allama Raja Ansir Abbas, Muhammad Zubair, and others, described the situation in the Middle East, especially the US-Israel attack on Iran, as nothing short of extraordinary, warning that reckless foreign actions risk plunging the entire region into chaos.
They urged the government to take coordinated action on both domestic and international fronts.
Salman Akram Raja accused the US and Israel of sabotaging negotiations aimed at a nuclear peace agreement with Iran, blaming what he called ‘Zionist forces’ for deliberately undermining efforts at regional stability. “Negotiations between the United States and Iran were on the verge of a conclusion, but they were completely sabotaged,” he said, urging Pakistan to act to prevent further instability.
He also criticised domestic political dynamics, stating that “institutions and the masses are being set against one another, and chaos is being spread through lies.” He called for political dialogue to address national challenges. He warned against repeating past mistakes.
He highlighted recent judicial sentences handed down to 47 PTI leaders in absentia, noting that cumulative punishments in some cases had reached up to 50 years.
Senior PTI leader Babar Awan addressed the same issue, criticising the ten-year sentences imposed on 47 PTI leaders in connection with the General Headquarters (GHQ) attacks case.
He said many of those convicted had faced charges in other cases previously, claiming some of them were not in Pakistan at the time of the alleged incidents.
He continued that several individuals had not been named in the original first information reports (FIRs) or earlier charge sheets, while others had only minor offences recorded.
He also pointed to inconsistencies in the judicial process, noting that those PTI leaders who had held press conferences were granted ‘amnesty’.
Citing a recent report on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that said more than 20,000 children had been affected, Awan called on the government to take three immediate steps: play role for daily United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sessions to demand an end to attacks on Iran, withdraw its nomination of President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize over his record on promoting conflict, and immediately quit the Trump-led Board of Peace, questioning its legitimacy.
TTAP’s Muhammad Zubair focused on economic concerns, criticising government policies and highlighting Rs55-per-litre increase in petroleum prices as evidence that elite interests were being prioritised over public welfare.
He also pointed to Pakistan’s investment climate, which he said remains at a 51-year low, with rising costs and fiscal pressures compounding economic challenges.
He argued that these developments reflect the intersecting pressures of domestic political repression and global instability, calling for unified state action to address both economic and security concerns.
Both PTI and TTAP leaders emphasised that Pakistan must prioritise national survival and the future of the Muslim Ummah, urging all political forces to rise above partisan interests.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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