Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to call off its long march and resolve political differences through dialogue, as the opposition continues its protest movement towards Islamabad.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk underpass in Islamabad on Tuesday, the prime minister said it was unfortunate that the country was again facing the prospect of long marches despite efforts by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to engage the PTI in negotiations.
PM Shehbaz said representatives of the government and opposition had held talks for two days in National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s chamber, with hopes that the dialogue would help end political confrontation. He claimed the PTI later sought changes to matters that had already been settled.
The prime minister said political protests and long marches could negatively affect economic activity by disrupting exports, imports and manufacturing. He said the government had worked to achieve macroeconomic stability over the past two and a half years and that the economy should now be allowed to grow.
He also pointed to improvements in information technology exports, remittances and domestic production in September, warning that actions that disrupt economic activity would have wider consequences.
PM Shehbaz said the government would not allow the economy to be destabilised or public lives to be put at risk, adding that “the law will take its course”.
Separately, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the government was prepared to consider resuming talks with the PTI if the party called off its marches and protests.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry said political and constitutional options were available to deal with the ongoing situation. He also blamed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for contributing to the breakdown of negotiations.
According to Chaudhry, the government had made efforts to reach an agreement during two days of talks. He said discussions initially made progress on counterterrorism cooperation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with both sides agreeing on several points.
He claimed that a draft agreement was prepared on the second day of negotiations after the two sides reached consensus on the issue of terrorism. However, he said the PTI delegation later consulted with the KP chief minister and subsequently left the talks without finalising the agreement.
Chaudhry said the National Action Plan against terrorism was linked to Pakistan’s constitutional, security and stability requirements. He questioned the KP government’s reservations about counterterrorism measures, saying the plan had also been adopted during the previous PTI government.
He further alleged that security concerns affected ordinary citizens and political figures in KP, while questioning why PTI workers and leaders continued to operate in the province.
The minister said further negotiations would remain conditional on the PTI ending its long march and protests. He urged political forces to cooperate in combating terrorism rather than allowing divisions to deepen.
The latest political deadlock followed two rounds of negotiations between the government and opposition, which failed to resolve differences over counterterrorism policy in KP and access to PTI founder Imran Khan.
The PTI had sought immediate access to Khan for consultations and maintained that counterterrorism measures in KP should be developed through agreement between the federal and provincial governments. The party also raised Khan’s medical treatment and other political and legal issues during the negotiations.
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said disagreement over the federal government’s proposed counterterrorism measures in KP was a major reason for the failure of talks.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of undermining the negotiations. The government has also discussed constitutional options concerning the provincial government amid the continuing political and security tensions.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the government could return to negotiations if the opposition provided assurances of progress on counterterrorism efforts in KP.
The PTI has proceeded with its long march despite government warnings, with participants demanding the release of Imran Khan. Authorities have taken security measures to prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad.
