Naqvi Says Talks Have Collapsed, Accuses KP CM of Sabotaging Negotiations
The talks collapse between the government and the opposition was confirmed on Sunday by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations after the PTI’s long march got under way.
At a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said the dialogue could not continue once the march had begun. He said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been briefed on the breakdown.
Naqvi said 99 per cent of the points had been agreed and a draft was ready. He had taken the draft to the president, but on his return found that Afridi had altered it. Four drafts were amended during Saturday’s talks, he added.
What led to the talks collapse
According to Naqvi, two agreements were on the table: one between the government and the opposition parties, and a separate counterterrorism pact with the KP government. The province, he said, had consented to signing a written agreement on counterterrorism and submitting an implementation plan within 72 hours, then backtracked at the final stage.
The minister said the KP government had agreed to review the Police Act 2026, deny terrorists safe havens, unequivocally condemn the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and its Afghan affiliate, back the repatriation of Afghan refugees and the dismantling of their camps, cut contact with the interim Afghan government, fund counterterrorism operations and implement the National Action Plan.
Naqvi named Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Amir Dogar and Senator Raja Nasir Abbas among the PTI negotiators, praising their sincere participation. He asked why Afridi had not attended the talks himself.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the talks failed because the provincial leadership would not assure future cooperation against terrorism. Senate opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas said the deadlock centred on KP’s counterterrorism policy and on allowing jailed PTI founder Imran Khan access to his personal physicians.
Afridi releases his own draft
Afridi, meanwhile, released his own draft of the proposed agreement online, saying every demand in it was constitutional and lawful. His draft sought formal meetings between the prime minister and opposition leaders, medical and legal rights for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, the release of female political prisoners, and a joint security framework to be drawn up within 72 hours.
The chief minister said the PTI reserved the right to peaceful protest if assurances given to the party were violated.
What happens next after the talks collapse
Naqvi warned that any violation of the Islamabad High Court’s directives on protests would invite legal action, and held Afridi responsible for any loss of life during the march. With the talks over, the government’s attention has shifted to the security of the capital, where the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad has been extended till October 15 and a special police security plan is in force.
Related
- Naqvi: PTI Government Talks Collapsed After Nine Commitments Dropped
- Sohail Afridi Unveils Five-Day March Plan to Reach Peshawar by Oct 8
- Eight Terrorists Killed in DI Khan Intelligence-Based Operation
- Centre Seriously Considering Emergency in KP, Minister Says
Frequently asked questions
Why did the government-opposition talks collapse?
Naqvi says the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government backed out of agreed commitments at the final stage, altering a draft he said had 99 per cent agreement.
What did Naqvi accuse the KP chief minister of?
Naqvi accused Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations by altering the agreed draft, and of refusing to attend the talks himself.
What is in Afridi’s draft?
Afridi’s draft, released online, calls the demands constitutional and seeks PM-opposition meetings, medical and legal rights for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, the release of female political prisoners, and a joint security framework within 72 hours.
Will the PTI march continue?
Yes. The first phase of the long march began on Sunday from Lakki Marwat, and the party says it reserves the right to peaceful protest if its assurances are violated.
