PM Shehbaz Offers PTI Talks If Long March Ends

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered fresh talks to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, but tied any renewed dialogue to the party ending its ongoing long march towards Islamabad. Speaking at an event in Islamabad on Tuesday, he said the government was willing to engage with the opposition if the protest movement was called off first.

The prime minister warned that sit-ins and long marches would directly hurt the national economy. He said political agitation could disrupt exports, imports and manufacturing activity, particularly if workers, engineers and office staff were unable to reach factories, workplaces and commercial sites on time.

Shehbaz said the ruling coalition had collectively decided to hold talks with the opposition in an effort to persuade the party to abandon what he described as the politics of sit-ins. He urged the party leadership to end the long march and sit-in before expecting negotiations to resume.

His remarks came as the march led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reached Kohat. The protest began on October 4 after negotiations between the government side and opposition representatives collapsed, with both sides blaming each other for the failure to reach an agreement.

The talks had taken place after the party postponed its planned protest from September 27 to October 4. Government officials had repeatedly warned that the march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad, raising political tensions as the convoy moved through parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The prime minister said the country’s development and prosperity process was continuing and should not be derailed by confrontation. He maintained that the government had worked for two-and-a-half years to stabilise the economy and put it back on its feet through teamwork and policy effort.

Shehbaz also argued that economic recovery reflected the aspirations of the nation, saying any disruption to manufacturing and routine commercial activity would ultimately be a loss for Pakistan. His comments place the protest and negotiation question directly within the government’s broader economic messaging.

The next step now depends on whether the opposition accepts the condition of ending the march before talks resume. Until then, the standoff is likely to remain a major political flashpoint, with Islamabad’s security posture and the movement of the protest convoy both under close watch.