Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has stood firm on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s demands after government-opposition talks failed to break the deadlock over the party’s long march.
Afridi shared a seven-point draft of PTI demands on Sunday. He said the document had been submitted to the negotiating committee.
He said none of the demands was unconstitutional or illegal. Afridi also accused the state of treating people as “second-class citizens”.
The development followed marathon negotiations on Saturday. The talks failed to produce an agreement between the government and opposition. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chaired the negotiations.
PTI’s Seven-Point Draft
The first demand calls for regular meetings between the prime minister and opposition leaders in both houses of Parliament.
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The proposed meetings would cover political, national, constitutional, legal and democratic issues. The draft calls for progress on these matters within two months through consultation and negotiations.
The second point proposes a joint political negotiating committee. It would include representatives of the government coalition, Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition parties.
The committee would continue talks on national and political issues. It would also seek consensus-based solutions to outstanding differences.
The draft also calls for freedom for democracy, politics, the judiciary and journalism.
The third demand concerns PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
The draft seeks their legal, human and medical rights under the Constitution, law and prison rules. It also calls for necessary medical treatment based on advice from their personal or nominated doctors.
The fourth point seeks meetings between Imran and Bushra and their family members, lawyers and authorised associates.
The proposed meetings would remain subject to prison rules and applicable law.
The fifth demand concerns pending legal applications by Imran, Bushra and other prisoners.
The draft calls for such applications to be considered within 10 days where legally possible. It also seeks early release of women serving political sentences, including Bushra and PTI leader Yasmin Rashid, on humanitarian grounds.
PTI Seeks Joint Counterterrorism Strategy
The sixth point focuses on security in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
It calls for continuous consultation between the federal and provincial governments to combat terrorism and protect lives and property.
The draft proposes a formal meeting between authorised federal and provincial representatives within 72 hours. The meeting would seek a joint strategy for maintaining law and order.
The PTI says implementation of the strategy should remain within the Constitution and law.
The seventh point links the future of the long march to written assurances from the federal government.
According to the draft, PTI would cancel the march if the government provided written assurances on the agreed measures.
The party would retain the right to peaceful and legal protest if the government failed to implement the assurances or stalled the negotiations.
Naqvi Accuses K-P Government of Backtracking
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi presented a different account of the negotiations.
He alleged that the K-P government withdrew several security-related commitments during the final stage of talks.
Naqvi said the provincial government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours.
According to Naqvi, the proposed commitments included reconsidering the Police Act 2026 in light of the security situation.
He also said the K-P government had agreed to prevent militant groups from operating freely or establishing safe havens in the province.
Naqvi said the provincial government had agreed to condemn the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups.
He also listed support for the federal policy on Afghan refugees among the proposed commitments. Other points included counterterrorism funding, stronger cooperation with the armed forces and implementation of the National Action Plan.
Naqvi said the K-P government backed out of these commitments during the final phase of negotiations.
“Security must not be politicised while the province is at war,” he said.
PTI Blames Counterterrorism Dispute
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said disagreement over counterterrorism policy was a key reason for the collapse of the talks.
Raja said the PTI-TTAP negotiating team wanted counterterrorism measures to be agreed jointly by the federal and provincial governments.
He also called for consultation with political parties represented in the K-P Assembly.
Raja said the opposition supported action against terrorism but opposed unilateral measures that could cause civilian casualties or displacement.
He also called for local intelligence and public support to guide counterterrorism policies.
Raja said recommendations from a jirga held in the K-P Assembly should also be considered.
Three Red Lines
PTI Sindh leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said the talks ultimately broke down over three “red lines”.
The first involved a meeting with Imran Khan. Sheikh said the opposition believed only Khan had the authority to call off the long march.
The opposition later proposed that Raja Nasir Abbas be allowed to meet Khan. Sheikh said the government rejected that proposal as well.
The second issue involved Khan’s health and medical treatment. Sheikh said the opposition wanted Khan’s personal doctors involved in his treatment.
The third issue concerned counterterrorism policy in K-P.
Sheikh said the federal and provincial governments should consult all relevant stakeholders before taking decisions.
He said the parties should also proceed under the National Action Plan.
Long March Begins Amid Deadlock
The talks took place as PTI proceeded with its planned October 4 mobilisation.
Afridi had earlier announced that the march would begin from K-P and continue towards Islamabad. However, the first phase began from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on Sunday, with caravans from several southern districts joining the procession.
The political standoff remains unresolved as the government and PTI continue to hold opposing positions on Imran Khan’s access, political demands and counterterrorism policy.
