Govt-PTI talks hit deadlock over Imran Khan's access to doctors, KP counterterrorism measures

• Second meeting important "round of negotiations": PTI chief.
• PTI members back continuation of talks with govt: sources.
• Members suggest quitting assemblies in case of emergency: sources.

ISLAMABAD: Government-opposition talks aimed at averting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) planned October 4 long march towards Islamabad ended in deadlock on Saturday, with the two sides failing to reach consensus on key issues and no agreement yet on when the negotiations will resume.

PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said the sides could not agree on the basic issues under discussion, while Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said differences remained over a meeting with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and access to his personal doctor.

"Our position was that we could move forward towards a point on which both sides could agree," Salman said.

Abbas said the opposition had also sought clarity over military operations in areas hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs). He said the government had indicated that it was not currently in a position to arrange a meeting with Khan, although meetings between his sisters and lawyers would be allowed to begin.

"We wanted the negotiations to succeed," PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said after the talks. He said the party's long march remained intact and would go ahead, but added that any action during the protest should not create tensions among people in the province.

Gohar said nothing should be considered final in politics and stressed that the long march should not be met with an emergency or governor's rule. He also said the two sides had not agreed on the next phase of negotiations.

The latest impasse followed several changes to a draft agreement. 

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said the draft had been revised four times and the government had heard the PTI's concerns, but stressed that there could be no compromise on terrorism.

"They have refused agreement on the long march and other things," Sherry said. The government's position centred on counterterrorism and the role of the KP government. 

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the provincial government must fulfil its constitutional responsibility regarding terrorism and alleged that it had failed to give assurances about its role in counterterrorism efforts.

Rana warned that the long march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad's limits and said any form of unrest would be dealt with through the force of law. He also said no time had been fixed for another round of negotiations.

'March to begin from Lakki Marwat'

Separately, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the start of the PTI's long march towards Islamabad.

In a post on X, Afridi said the first phase of the march would begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm on Sunday, with participants from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat joining the convoy.

According to the route announced by Afridi, the convoy will camp near Karak on Sunday night before participants from Karak join it on Monday. The march will then move towards Kohat, Peshawar and Charsadda over the following days.

Afridi said PTI supporters from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would gather at Khairabad on October 8, where the party would announce its further course of action.

From 95% deal to deadlock

The latest developments came hours after a member of the negotiating committee had said the government and opposition had agreed on around 95% of the issues and expected to settle the remaining one or two points during the night. 

The two sides had been working on a written draft agreement, but subsequent statements from both camps made clear that fundamental differences remained.

Earlier, government-side sources had claimed that PTI had accepted the government's demands and agreed to cooperate fully on matters relating to terrorism. 

They had also said that any decision regarding Imran Khan's release and meetings with him would be taken in accordance with the law.

Sources privy to the talks had previously said the government had agreed to a meeting of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Nasir Abbas with Khan, while the opposition had given its nod to calling off the planned march. 

PTI had also demanded the immediate release of Khan's sisters, as well as party parliamentarians and workers.

Achakzai had separately proposed a meeting involving Khan, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Nasir Abbas and said guarantees could be given that Afridi would not speak to the media afterwards. 

He also called for Khan's sisters to be released before an agreement was finalised.

After consultations with the negotiating teams, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by telephone and met President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, sources said.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chaired the talks, which were launched as the government and PTI sought to defuse tensions over the planned march and wider political differences.

The government delegation included Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and PPP leaders Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman and Ejaz Jakhrani.

The opposition team comprises Nasir Abbas, Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Aamir Dogar and Haleem Adil.

'No decision without meeting PTI founder'

The government-opposition negotiations entered their final phase after the first round was held on Friday in the National Assembly speaker's chamber, with both sides presenting their respective positions but failing to reach an agreement.

The PTI had reconstituted its delegation for the meeting after Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai declined to attend the talks at the NA speaker's chamber, saying he would participate if the negotiations were held at a neutral location.

Following the first round, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said the meeting had lasted around an hour, with both sides presenting their respective positions.

The second round, initially scheduled for 2pm on Saturday, was later moved to 3pm after opposition leaders held consultations inside Parliament House.

Before the second round, Gohar said efforts were being made to stop the PTI's planned long march, while also referring to talk of extreme steps from the treasury benches.

Without naming anyone, he expressed disappointment over statements made by some ministers but said he hoped the negotiations would prove fruitful.

Gohar said the talks were important for the country, nation and democracy, reiterating that his party wanted to hold its long march without the imposition of an emergency or governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Asked about the delay, he said opposition leaders had been consulting at Parliament House, which had delayed their participation in the negotiations.

In a post on X, National Assembly Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani urged all sides to continue the talks in a cordial atmosphere and thanked the government, PPP and opposition members for participating in efforts to resolve the issues.

Meanwhile, sources said Abbas held a telephone conversation with Achakzai during consultations in the opposition chamber and briefed him on the ongoing negotiations.

Government negotiators Mohsin Naqvi and Rana Sanaullah also contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by telephone and apprised him of developments in the talks.

The government had reportedly demanded that the opposition end its planned protest march to facilitate progress in the negotiations.

At the same time, sources said members of the PTI's political and core committees were considering whether the long march could be postponed rather than called off if the government showed positive progress in the talks.

Gohar briefed party members on the negotiations during a meeting in which they also discussed the PTI's future strategy, sources said.

A majority of the members were said to be in favour of expanding the negotiations, while the PTI secretary general told the meeting that there appeared to be a plan to impose an emergency in KP.

Some members suggested that PTI lawmakers could resign from the national and provincial assemblies if the federal government imposed an emergency in the province.

The meeting also agreed that party leaders should refrain from issuing statements to the media while negotiations were under way. Some members criticised statements made by Prime Minister's aide Rana Sanaullah and PPP leader Sherry Rehman.

Several members also proposed that PTI leaders meet the party's founder at Adiala jail, saying a meeting involving Achakzai and Abbas with the PTI founder could help find a way forward.

Achakzai subsequently held a telephone conversation with the opposition's negotiation team and made clear that no decision could be taken without first meeting the PTI founder, sources privy to the matter said.

He directed the opposition leaders to inform the government that a decision would be conveyed only after consultation with the PTI founder.

During another telephone conversation, Achakzai asked the opposition leaders to put forward a single agenda before the government for a meeting with the PTI founder, sources said.

He also proposed a meeting involving the PTI founder, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Abbas.

Achakzai said they would guarantee that Afridi would not speak to the media after meeting the PTI founder, according to sources.

He further called for the PTI founder's sisters to be released before any agreement was reached.

Despite the differences, PPP leader and member of the negotiation committee Naveed Qamar said the talks could be described as successful, adding that a joint statement would be issued shortly.

"We are waiting as some wording [in the draft agreement] is being revised," Qamar said, adding that a joint draft agreed upon by the government and opposition would also be issued.

He said any success would be the result of efforts by both sides and expressed hope that there would be neither a long march nor the imposition of an emergency in KP.

However, the expected breakthrough failed to materialise, with the opposition maintaining that it could not make a final decision without first consulting the PTI founder.