Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has said reconciliation with the government cannot move forward without involving party founder Imran Khan in the political dialogue.
Speaking at a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, Raja said Imran Khan was the only leader capable of bridging what he described as the growing divide between the state and the public.
He said the PTI had the right to seek Imran’s opinion during negotiations, but was not allowed access to him.
“Imran Khan is very important for us and we had every right to seek his opinion, but it was not allowed,” Raja said.
Raja identified the government’s counterterrorism policy as another major reason for the failure of talks. He said the PTI had entered negotiations in good faith and remained committed to resolving political and security-related issues.
According to Raja, the party had hoped that further rounds of negotiations would help resolve differences.
He said the PTI was being pressured to support the government’s actions concerning terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Raja said his party had urged the government to consider recommendations made by a jirga convened by the KP Assembly, which included political parties and other stakeholders.
He added that the PTI had also called for the views of tribal leaders to be taken into account while formulating a strategy to address terrorism in the province.
Raja said the PTI had proposed including a clause in the agreement stating that both sides would adopt a collective approach to counterterrorism. However, he claimed the government refused to include such a commitment in writing.
“We were told that a unanimous strategy against terrorism would not be developed and it would not be included in the agreement,” he said.
The PTI leader maintained that Imran Khan’s involvement was essential to resolving the country’s political challenges. He said the party had therefore demanded a meeting between its leadership and Imran for consultations.
The government and opposition held two rounds of talks on Friday and Saturday, but the negotiations failed to produce an agreement. Counterterrorism policy and PTI access to Imran Khan emerged as key points of disagreement.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday blamed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the breakdown, alleging that he altered the proposed agreement.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also criticised the PTI representatives, accusing them of maintaining “double standards and hypocrisy” during the negotiations.
The PTI, meanwhile, maintained that it had sought immediate access to Imran Khan for consultations and was willing to set aside other demands to secure the meeting. The party said the government refused to make access to Imran part of the proposed agreement.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, while commenting on the failed negotiations, said the government delegation had proposed that both sides adopt a common position on terrorism.
Despite the breakdown in talks and warnings from the federal government, the PTI proceeded with its protest march on Sunday.
