PTI Rejects Talks Offer, Demands Access To Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed offer of dialogue, saying the proposal remains only a public statement unless the government takes practical steps to contact the opposition leadership. The response came as political tension remained high during the party’s ongoing protest mobilisation and its continuing demand for access to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Party chairman Barrister Gohar Khan made the remarks outside Adiala jail after he was not permitted to meet the incarcerated party founder. He said the government could reach the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate if it genuinely wanted talks, but argued that no serious move had been made beyond the prime minister’s offer.

The prime minister had earlier said the government was ready to engage with the opposition if the party called off its long march and sit-ins. The offer was presented as a way to reduce political confrontation, protect public order and prevent damage to the economy at a time when the country is already facing pressure from security and governance challenges.

Barrister Gohar said the party had been denied access to Imran Khan for nearly a year, calling the restriction a major obstacle to any meaningful negotiation. He said the last meeting with the former prime minister took place in October 2025 and questioned how talks could move forward while doctors, family members, lawyers and party leaders were unable to meet him.

The party chairman described the denial of meetings as inhumane treatment and said the government needed to demonstrate seriousness through actions rather than statements. He argued that a credible negotiation process would require permission for a meeting with Imran Khan and a clear communication channel with the leaders authorised by him.

According to the party position, Imran Khan has authorised Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Khan Achakzai to negotiate on his behalf. The opposition side has indicated that any government contact should be received positively, but it has also linked progress to access to the jailed former premier and relief for detained family members.

The remarks came as the party’s long march continued under the leadership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. The march has become the central pressure point in the dispute, with the party presenting it as a political campaign for the former premier’s release and the government warning that agitation could disrupt stability.

The confrontation now rests on whether the government moves from a public invitation to direct engagement with opposition representatives. Without visible steps on access to Imran Khan, the party is likely to continue treating the talks offer as symbolic, while the protest movement remains a test of political control, legal authority and public mobilisation.