The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are set to resume negotiations at 3pm on Saturday at Parliament House, following an initial round of talks in which both sides exchanged demands amid tensions over the party’s planned October 4 march on Islamabad.
The first round, held on Friday in National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s chamber, concluded with both sides describing the discussions as constructive. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the meeting took place in a “good atmosphere”, adding that the party had presented its demands and hoped the dialogue would continue.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also said the talks had gone well, but stressed that discussions should remain confidential. He said the government needed to demonstrate its seriousness in resolving the political impasse.
Among PTI’s demands is permission for party leaders to meet its founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala jail. The opposition has also sought implementation of a Supreme Court order concerning his transfer to hospital, according to sources.
The government, meanwhile, has asked PTI to postpone or call off its planned march, sources said. It has also assured the opposition that the court’s order regarding Imran Khan would be implemented.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march towards Islamabad will begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on October 4, amid ongoing negotiations between the party and the government.
Addressing party workers at a fundraising event at the PTI secretariat in Peshawar, Afridi urged supporters to participate in the protest with full preparations, saying he would personally lead the convoy.
According to the route announced by the chief minister, the march’s first stop will be Karak, followed by Kohat on October 5. The convoy is scheduled to reach Matni, near Peshawar, on the night of October 6.
Afridi said the convoy would depart from Peshawar on the morning of October 7. He added that a detailed schedule would be shared with party workers on Friday night.
The chief minister called on workers, particularly those from the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to join the march in large numbers. He said the protest would remain peaceful and urged participants to avoid any disorder.
Gohar, however, said PTI was entering negotiations in good faith despite its demands not having been accepted, adding that the government’s approach would shape the party’s next course of action regarding the march.
The talks follow consultations between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, when they agreed to engage PTI to ease political tensions. The meeting also comes amid concerns over security in KP and reports that the federal government is considering constitutional and legal options, including emergency measures and governor’s rule. No formal decision on either measure had been announced.
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