Opposition Alliance Pauses Talks Pending Imran Khan Health Update

The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan alliance said on Thursday it would not hold further negotiations with the government until former prime minister Imran Khan is allowed to meet his family and his doctors are given access to him. The alliance also sought information about his health before talks could resume.

The announcement followed a meeting of opposition leaders chaired by Mahmood Khan Achakzai. In a statement, the alliance said Achakzai would hold exclusive authority to negotiate with the government if the conditions it set are met.

The alliance demanded the release of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leader Sohail Afridi, provincial assembly speaker Babar Saleem Swati, party president Junaid Akbar and other detained lawmakers and political figures. It also called for access to Imran Khan by his sisters and medical team.

The group again opposed the emergency and governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing the measures as unconstitutional and a violation of the public mandate. It said constituent parties would challenge the decisions in the Peshawar High Court and pressed for their withdrawal.

The federal government has defended the measures on security grounds, citing the province’s law-and-order situation and the need for closer counterterrorism coordination. The National Assembly and Senate endorsed the emergency proclamation on Wednesday by majority vote.

The alliance also urged implementation of a peace-jirga resolution passed in the provincial assembly and said it supported the National Action Plan against terrorism. It argued that political dialogue, rather than new policies or force, was needed to address concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The decision to suspend talks adds to pressure on efforts to ease the political confrontation between the government and opposition. It leaves the prospect of renewed dialogue dependent on whether the alliance’s demands regarding access, health information and detained leaders are addressed.