Imran Khan
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced this during a press conference outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Monday. The demand has been presented as a prerequisite for the continuation of the ongoing dialogue process with the government.
Addressing the media, Gohar urged the government to avoid delays in the negotiation process, emphasizing the importance of mutual commitment to the talks.
His remarks came in response to a recent statement by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee, who criticized PTI’s simultaneous engagement with the military leadership and government representatives. Siddiqui had asserted that negotiations should not be conducted through multiple channels.
The controversy emerged following confirmation by Barrister Gohar of a recent meeting between PTI representatives, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Asim Munir.
The meeting was described as “positive and direct,” with PTI presenting its demands directly to the army chief. Imran Khan later confirmed this interaction but clarified that it focused solely on law and order issues. He called on critics to refrain from politicizing the meeting.
Gohar reaffirmed PTI’s commitment to dialogue, provided their condition for a judicial commission is met. He revealed that Imran Khan had explicitly directed party negotiators not to proceed with a fourth round of talks unless the government established the commission within seven days.
Gohar stressed that continued negotiations would be futile without progress on PTI’s demands, which include the formation of two separate commissions to probe the events of May 9 and November 26, as well as the release of “political prisoners.”
The PTI’s demands were formally submitted during the third round of talks on January 16. The party’s “Charter of Demands,” specifies that the commissions are essential for the party to remain engaged in dialogue. It also calls for the release of imprisoned PTI leaders and supporters, including Imran Khan.
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established a negotiation committee comprising members from all ruling coalition parties to address PTI’s demands. The initiative was confirmed by Rana Sanaullah, PM’s aide on political affairs, last week.
Gohar urged the government to approach the dialogue process with patience and tolerance, warning that hasty decisions could derail progress.
The PTI founder remains steadfast in his position, signaling that the future of negotiations hinges on the government’s willingness to meet their demands within the specified timeframe.
