ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that the party remains in contact with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi through backchannel channels, but details of those contacts cannot be shared with the media.
Speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Barrister Gohar said there was currently no proposal under consideration to postpone PTI’s September 27 protest.
He said the protest would be led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, adding that PTI had not held any discussions with the government regarding postponement of the planned long march.
Barrister Gohar said the September 27 protest was not solely a PTI decision. According to him, the decision was taken after consultations with other political parties, and he claimed that all political parties would participate in the protest.
He also acknowledged that PTI maintains contact with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi through informal or backchannel channels. However, he declined to provide details of those communications.
“We remain in contact with the government, and this has never been hidden,” Barrister Gohar said, while making it clear that the nature and substance of the backchannel discussions could not be disclosed publicly.
Imran Khan Still Favors Dialogue
Barrister Gohar said PTI founder Imran Khan has consistently preferred negotiations and has authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas to conduct talks on his behalf.
He said PTI’s repeated offers for negotiations had been interpreted by the government as a sign of weakness.
According to Barrister Gohar, however, there are currently no formal negotiations taking place between PTI and the government.
He maintained that PTI has not abandoned dialogue as a political option, but said the party’s previous offers had not resulted in meaningful formal negotiations.
The PTI chairman’s remarks indicate that while formal talks remain suspended, communication between the opposition and government has not completely stopped.
Prime Minister’s Letter Welcomed
Barrister Gohar also commented on a letter received from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that receiving the letter was a positive development.
He said the opposition leader was coordinating the response and related discussions regarding the correspondence.
However, Barrister Gohar also raised concerns about PTI leaders’ continued inability to meet Imran Khan.
He claimed that despite court orders, party leaders had not been able to meet the PTI founder for 10 months.
The PTI chairman said the party considered the lack of access to its founder a serious issue and called for judicial orders regarding meetings with Imran Khan to be implemented.
September 27 Protest
The September 27 protest remains a major focus of PTI’s current political strategy. Barrister Gohar reiterated that there was no plan to postpone the demonstration and said it would be led by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister.
He also emphasized that the protest had been discussed with other political parties rather than being a decision taken exclusively by PTI.
The party is seeking wider political participation in the protest and has continued to raise issues including constitutional supremacy, the rule of law and political rights.
At the same time, Barrister Gohar’s acknowledgement of backchannel communication with the interior minister suggests that informal political contacts continue despite the absence of formal negotiations.
The PTI leader did not disclose the nature of those contacts, saying that the details could not be discussed publicly.
His comments highlight the complex political situation in which public confrontation and informal communication are continuing simultaneously.
For now, PTI maintains that the September 27 protest will go ahead, while formal negotiations with the government remain suspended. At the same time, the party has kept open the possibility of dialogue by maintaining informal contacts with government representatives.
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