Following the breakdown of talks between the two sides over the weekend, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership stated that meaningful reconciliation with the government is not possible unless party founder Imran Khan is included in the dialogue.
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PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party wanted Imran Khan to be included in any future political discussions and maintained that the incarcerated former prime minister’s views were essential to resolving the current political impasse.
“Only [Imran] has the capability to bridge the gulf that has developed between the state and the nation,” Raja said while addressing a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
Raja said PTI had the right to consult its founder on political matters but was not allowed access to him during the negotiations.
PTI Links Talks Failure to Counterterrorism Policy
Raja identified differences over the government’s approach to terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as another major reason for the failure of the talks.
He said PTI had entered the negotiations seriously and hoped that further rounds would resolve outstanding differences.
According to Raja, PTI was being pushed to support government actions concerning counterterrorism in KP.
He said the party had asked the government to consider recommendations made by a peace jirga convened by the KP Assembly, as well as the views of tribal leaders.
Raja said PTI had proposed including a provision in the agreement requiring a collective decision on counterterrorism matters. According to him, the government declined to include such a commitment in writing.
The PTI leader alleged that the government had deliberately complicated the negotiations and reiterated that the party wanted Imran Khan’s opinion included in discussions on major political and security issues.
Government Rejects PTI’s Position
The two rounds of talks held between the government and opposition representatives on Friday and Saturday failed to produce an agreement, with access to Imran Khan and differences over counterterrorism policy emerging as major points of disagreement.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the breakdown, saying he had changed the proposed agreement.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also criticised the PTI delegation, accusing its representatives of maintaining what he described as “double standards and hypocrisy.”
The government has maintained that dialogue remains an option. Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Danyal Chaudhry said on Monday that the government had kept “all doors of dialogue open” and continued to favour reconciliation as a means of resolving political differences.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam said the government delegation had proposed that both sides should be “on the same page” regarding terrorism.
Following the collapse of the talks, PTI proceeded with its planned protest march on Sunday despite warnings from the federal government.
KP Assembly to Reconvene Security Committee
Amid the political dispute over security policy in KP, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has announced plans to convene another meeting of the assembly’s Special Committee on Security.
The committee was formed following a peace jirga held by the KP Assembly in November last year.
“I am again summoning a meeting of the special committee. I wish for the relevant authorities and institutions to sit together on this important matter,” Swati said in a post on X.
He said the process initiated by the KP Assembly should be considered before the Centre holds the provincial government responsible for the law and order situation in the province.
Committee to Seek Input From Security Institutions
Swati said political parties had issued a joint statement following the November peace jirga, after which the assembly established the Special Committee on Security to formulate parliamentary recommendations.
He said the committee had already received briefings from the provincial police chief, Counter Terrorism Department, Home Department, Chief Secretary and other relevant provincial institutions.
Swati said the committee had also informed the federal leadership about its work and sent letters to the prime minister, Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker and interior minister.
According to the speaker, the Peshawar Corps Commander was the remaining key official who had yet to brief the committee.
Swati said he had spoken to the corps commander, who had assured him of participating in the committee’s proceedings, but the meeting had not yet taken place.
He said the committee would hear the positions of relevant institutions, review the available information and formulate recommendations for presentation before the provincial assembly.
After approval by the assembly, the recommendations would be forwarded to the provincial and federal governments, he said.
Call for Collective Security Strategy
Swati said the people of KP wanted peace and called on all relevant institutions and political stakeholders to play their respective roles in developing a collective approach to the province’s security challenges.
He also called for the National Action Plan to be implemented collectively while clearly defining the responsibilities of the relevant institutions.
The latest developments come amid continuing political tensions between the PTI and federal government, with the two sides maintaining different positions on political dialogue, access to Imran Khan and the handling of terrorism in KP.
