ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR (MNN); Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have ruled out meaningful reconciliation with the government unless incarcerated party founder Imran Khan is included in any future political dialogue, following the failure of two rounds of talks over the weekend. The two sides have given differing accounts of the reasons for the deadlock, with access to Imran Khan and counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerging as the main sticking points.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party had entered negotiations sincerely but was not allowed to consult Imran Khan on the issues under discussion.
“Only Imran has the capability to bridge the gulf that has developed between the state and the nation,” Raja said at a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
He said Imran remained central to resolving the political impasse and that the PTI had the right to seek his opinion. Raja added that the party had demanded a meeting of its senior leaders with Imran Khan as a condition for meaningful progress.
According to Raja, differences over the government’s counterterrorism policy in KP were another major reason for the collapse of the talks. He said the PTI was being pressured to support government actions regarding terrorism in the province.
The PTI had proposed that any agreement include a commitment to develop a collective strategy against terrorism, taking into account recommendations of the KP Assembly’s peace jirga and the views of tribal leaders. Raja said the government was unwilling to put such a commitment in writing.
The two rounds of negotiations, held on Friday and Saturday, ended without an agreement. The government has disputed the PTI’s account. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the breakdown, alleging that he changed the proposed agreement, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also criticised the PTI’s negotiating position. Government representatives have said cooperation on counterterrorism was a key issue.
KP Assembly Seeks Fresh Security Committee Meeting
Amid the political deadlock and continuing security concerns in KP, provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced that he would summon another meeting of the assembly’s special security committee.
Swati said political leaders and relevant state institutions should sit together to discuss the security situation and formulate recommendations before the federal government holds the provincial government responsible for law and order.
He said the committee had already received briefings from the provincial police chief, Counterterrorism Department, Home Department and other officials. The Peshawar Corps Commander is yet to brief the committee, which Swati said had prevented the finalisation of its report.
The speaker said the committee would hear the positions of all relevant institutions, formulate recommendations and present them to the KP Assembly. Following approval, the recommendations would be forwarded to the provincial and federal governments for consideration in the National Action Plan.
Swati also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to implement the joint declaration adopted by the KP Assembly’s peace jirga in November 2025, saying it reflected the concerns and aspirations of the province’s people regarding terrorism, security and lasting peace.
PTI March Continues From Karak to Kohat
Despite the failure of negotiations and warnings from the federal government, PTI continued its protest march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards Islamabad.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday led the convoy from Karak to Kohat, where the protesters spent the night. The march is being organised to demand the release of Imran Khan and to press the party’s political and security-related demands.
Addressing supporters in Kohat, Afridi described the movement as a long struggle requiring endurance and sustained mobilisation. He said the next phase would become more intense from October 8.
The convoy is scheduled to move towards Peshawar on October 6 and subsequently proceed through areas including Charsadda and Khairabad. The PTI leadership has not disclosed the final plan for entering Islamabad, saying the next course of action will be announced at Khairabad.
Earlier, Afridi addressed supporters in Karak and criticised the federal government’s counterterrorism policies and past military operations. He maintained that the KP government would not accept decisions taken behind closed doors that, in his view, affected the province or the country.
Former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, meanwhile, turned back towards Dera Ismail Khan after road blockades and the prevailing law-and-order situation prevented his convoy from proceeding.
The PTI march follows the collapse of negotiations that had initially been expected to help ease tensions between the government and opposition. With talks stalled, the political confrontation has shifted back to the streets as the PTI continues its mobilisation in KP.
