The PTI has said the release of political prisoners and acceptance of its mandate to rule was the only “healing touch” that the establishment could offer post elections, Barrister Gohar Khan has said.

His remarks came after Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir stated that the nation needs “stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation”.

In an interview with Arab News, Barrister Gohar said: “Healing touch would mean that you [army] got to make sure that there are no political prisoners anymore in Pakistan.

“[PTI] mandate has to be respected. Short of it there can be no healing touch.”

“United government means that every party should be united in one thing, which is that you have to respect and regard people’s mandate first,” Gohar said. “The people have spoken [through the vote] and for the first time they have spoken in a very tough situation [amid a crackdown against PTI].”