PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The PTI on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel, and urged immediate steps to prevent further escalation in the region.
In a statement released by its central media department, the party deplored the killing as a grave violation of international law and warned that such actions risk further destabilising an already volatile region.
PTI expressed condolences to the people of Iran, calling the death “a moment of profound mourning”.
The statement urged Washington and Tel Aviv to “immediately cease any further illegal aggression or escalatory actions”, warning that large public gatherings during the mourning period could heighten the risk of civilian casualties.
The former ruling party further stressed that the sanctity of civilian life must be upheld, even amid conflict.
At the same time, the party called on Iran to exercise restraint, citing reports of drones striking civilian residences and public areas in neighbouring Arab states. Any actions endangering non-combatants must stop immediately, it said.
PTI also appealed to all states to refrain from providing support for aggression against Iran.
Senior PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan echoed the party’s position in a social media post, saying that the supreme leader was killed in his office during a US-Israel attack.
He slammed the incident as a “state-executed assassination” and questioned Pakistan’s diplomatic posture, demanding clarity from the federal government on recent international engagements.
Separately, PTI-linked figures expressed similar concerns. Party spokesperson Sayed Z Bukhari slammed the killing as a violation of the UN Charter and urged the international community to press for de-escalation to prevent further civilian suffering.
Former accountability adviser Mirza Shahzad Akbar alleged a broader regional agenda involving regime-change efforts and information warfare.
The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) also expressed “deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei” and announced a three-day mourning period.
In a statement, the alliance said it stood in full solidarity with the people of Iran during a difficult hour.
It condemned the “cowardly and barbaric attack” by the US and Israel, denouncing it as a blatant violation of international law, human rights principles and the sovereignty guarantee enshrined in the UN Charter.
The alliance said the people of Pakistan and the opposition parties were equal partners in the grief of the Iranian nation.
Citing the deteriorating regional security situation and its potential implications for Pakistan, TTAP outlined a series of demands.
First, the alliance formally announced a three-day mourning period over the Iranian leader’s death and urged the government of Pakistan to declare official mourning at the state level.
