PTI Says Reconciliation Impossible Without Imran In Talks

PTI leaders said on Monday that any reconciliation process with the federal government could not move forward unless incarcerated party founder Imran Khan was included in the dialogue. The statement came after negotiations between the government and the opposition failed over the weekend, leaving both sides publicly blaming each other for the deadlock.

PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja presented the party’s position during a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. He said the party had entered talks seriously but believed the process could not succeed without access to its founder and his input on major political and security questions.

Raja argued that the party had the right to consult Imran Khan before making decisions in negotiations with the government. He said PTI representatives had sought a meeting with him and wanted his views reflected in any future political understanding, particularly on issues linked to the national political crisis and security policy.

According to the PTI leader, one of the main sticking points was the government’s approach to terrorism and security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the opposition delegation wanted a collective strategy that would take into account the recommendations of a jirga held by the KP Assembly, where political parties and stakeholders had discussed the province’s security situation.

Raja said PTI had proposed that any agreement should clearly mention a joint decision-making process on terrorism. He claimed the government did not agree to include such wording in writing, which deepened mistrust and complicated the negotiations. He also said tribal leaders’ views should be considered before finalising any security policy affecting the province.

The failed talks followed two rounds of negotiations held on Friday and Saturday. The discussions did not produce a settlement, with access to Imran Khan and differences over counterterrorism policy emerging as major points of dispute. After the talks collapsed, PTI continued with its protest march despite warnings from the federal government.

Government figures offered a different account of the breakdown. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of changing the proposed agreement, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said PTI representatives attended talks but were unwilling to abandon what he described as double standards.

In a related development, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati said he would summon another meeting of the assembly’s special committee on security. He said relevant authorities and institutions should sit together to discuss the province’s law and order challenges and prepare recommendations that could be presented to the assembly before being forwarded to the provincial and federal governments.