Government-opposition negotiations ended without a breakthrough as differences persisted over Imran Khan’s access to doctors and PTI’s planned long march.
The second round of talks continued for hours at Parliament House on Saturday. However, both sides failed to reach agreement on the key issues.
The PTI has maintained that the October 4 march cannot be called off without consulting its founder. Meanwhile, the government has demanded an end to the planned protest.
Imran Khan Meeting Remains Major Sticking Point
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said the two sides could not agree on the basic issues under discussion.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said differences remained over meeting jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. He also cited the issue of access to Khan’s personal doctor.
“Our position was that we could move forward towards a point on which both sides could agree,” Salman said.
Abbas said the opposition also wanted clarity regarding military operations in areas hosting internally displaced persons. He added that the government was not currently able to arrange a meeting with Khan.
However, meetings between Khan’s sisters and lawyers would be allowed to begin, according to Abbas.
PTI Maintains Long March Will Continue
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party wanted the negotiations to succeed. However, he said the planned long march remained in place.
“We wanted the negotiations to succeed,” Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said after the talks.
He added that any action during the protest should not create tensions among people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Gohar also stressed that the long march should not trigger an emergency or governor’s rule.
“Nothing should be considered final in politics,” Gohar said, while noting that no agreement had been reached on the next phase.
Counterterrorism Becomes Another Major Dispute
The government’s position focused heavily on counterterrorism and the role of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
PPP leader Sherry Rehman said the negotiating draft had been revised four times. She added that the government had listened to PTI’s concerns.
However, she stressed that there could be no compromise on terrorism.
“They have refused agreement on the long march and other things,” Sherry said.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the KP government must fulfil its constitutional responsibility regarding terrorism.
He also alleged that the provincial government had not provided assurances about its role in counterterrorism efforts.
Sanaullah warned that the long march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. He added that authorities would respond to unrest through the force of law.
PTI Announces March Route From Lakki Marwat
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the beginning of the PTI long march towards Islamabad.
According to his announced schedule, the first phase will begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm on Sunday.
Participants from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat will join the convoy.
The convoy will camp near Karak on Sunday night. Participants from Karak will then join the march on Monday.
The route will continue towards Kohat, Peshawar and Charsadda over the following days. Afridi also said PTI supporters from across KP would gather at Khairabad on October 8.
The party will announce its further course of action at that gathering.
Talks Had Earlier Been Close to an Agreement
The latest deadlock came after a committee member earlier claimed the two sides had agreed on around 95 percent of the issues.
The remaining one or two points were expected to be settled during the night. However, subsequent developments showed that important differences remained.
Earlier, government sources had claimed that PTI agreed to cooperate on counterterrorism matters. They also said decisions concerning Khan’s release and meetings with him would follow the law.
Sources had also said the government agreed to a meeting between Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Nasir Abbas and Khan. In return, the opposition had reportedly agreed to call off the planned march.
PTI had also demanded the immediate release of Khan’s sisters, parliamentarians and party workers.
Achakzai separately proposed a meeting involving Khan, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Nasir Abbas. He also offered assurances that Afridi would not speak to the media afterward.
Opposition Says No Final Decision Without Khan
During consultations, several opposition members proposed meeting Khan at Adiala jail. They believed such a meeting could help resolve the remaining differences.
Achakzai subsequently spoke with members of the opposition negotiating team. He made clear that no final decision should be taken before meeting the PTI founder.
Sources said he directed opposition leaders to inform the government that a decision would follow consultation with Khan.
Achakzai also proposed a meeting involving Khan, Afridi and Abbas. He further called for Khan’s sisters to be released before any agreement was finalised.
Despite the extended negotiations, the two sides failed to bridge their differences. The opposition continued to link any decision on the October 4 march to consultation with the PTI founder.
As a result, the government and PTI remained at an impasse as the planned march approached.
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