ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has officially called off negotiations with the government, citing its failure to establish a judicial commission within the promised seven-day timeframe, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced on Thursday.
Speaking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Barrister Gohar revealed that the PTI legal team, including himself, met with Khan earlier in the day. Khan, who has been imprisoned for over a year, expressed frustration at the government’s inaction, stating it left no grounds to continue dialogue.
“The PTI founder has unequivocally declared that no further rounds of negotiations will be held,” Barrister Gohar said. “The government has failed to honor its commitments, and Imran Khan has therefore decided to withdraw from the negotiation process.”
Background of Negotiations
Negotiations between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government and PTI had commenced in late December to address escalating political tensions. Despite three rounds of talks, the discussions yielded little progress on critical issues.
During the third session held on January 16, PTI presented a written charter of demands, which included the formation of two judicial commissions — jointly nominated by PTI and the government — within seven days, as well as the release of “political prisoners.”
However, with the government’s failure to act within the agreed timeline, Khan decided to terminate further negotiations.
Implications
The decision marks a significant setback in efforts to ease the political standoff. PTI’s withdrawal from talks underscores the growing mistrust between the two sides and raises questions about the path forward for resolving the ongoing political crisis.
