PTI Says Reconciliation Impossible Without Imran Khan as Talks With Government Collapse
PTI leaders on Monday declared that there could be no reconciliation without Imran Khan, a day after two rounds of weekend talks between the party and the government ended in failure.
Narrating the opposition’s stance on why the talks with the government failed over the weekend, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja presented his party’s demand that Imran be included in any future political dialogues.
“Only [Imran] has the capability to bridge the gulf that has developed between the state and the nation,” Raja said during a press conference held at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
“Imran Khan is very important for us and we had every right to seek his opinion, but it was not allowed,” Raja claimed.
The PTI’s case: no reconciliation without Imran Khan
Raja said another reason for the failure was that the government was not willing to pursue a collective strategy against terrorism. He told the media that the PTI had entered the negotiations with sincerity and was serious about addressing the issues.
“Even on the second day, we were hoping that another round of talks would streamline things,” he said.
“We were being pushed to support the government over every action being taken regarding terrorism in KP,” Raja said, describing the reasons for the breakdown.
He added that the PTI had demanded that the government respect the recommendations and opinions of a jirga held by the KP assembly, in which political parties and stakeholders had participated. The jirga had recommended solutions to the problem, the opposition delegation had told the government, according to Raja.
The delegation had also asked the government to consider the opinions of tribal leaders, Raja said.
The disagreement over a counterterrorism strategy
Raja said the PTI had suggested the agreement should mention that a collective decision would be made regarding terrorism, but the government had said it would not put it down on paper.
“We were told that a unanimous strategy against terrorism would not be developed and it would not be included in the agreement,” Raja said, claiming the government had deliberately complicated the situation.
The two rounds of talks, held on Friday and Saturday, did not yield positive results, with counterterrorism policies and access to Imran emerging as the two major sticking points. For its part, the PTI said it wanted immediate access to Imran for consultations, and even agreed to forgo its other demands in return for a meeting with him. The government declined to make access to Imran part of the proposed agreement, the opposition claimed.
The government’s version of events
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was part of the process, on Sunday singled out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the failure of the talks, saying that he had changed the agreement. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the PTI representatives came for talks but were unwilling to abandon their “double standards and hypocrisy”.
Following the failed talks, the PTI went ahead with its protest march on Sunday despite warnings from the federal government, which has threatened to send the PTI government in KP packing by imposing governor’s rule or an emergency.
Related: Muqam says no governor’s rule in KP for now, calls province ‘abandoned’ | Naqvi says talks with opposition have collapsed, accuses KP CM of sabotaging negotiations | CM Afridi rejects governor’s rule as PTI long march moves through KP | ATC orders Imran Khan’s production in Judicial Complex attack case
Frequently asked questions
What did the PTI say after the talks collapsed?
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said reconciliation was not possible without including Imran Khan in the dialogue, and that the party had every right to seek his opinion. He blamed the failure on the government’s refusal to agree to a collective counterterrorism strategy and to include Imran in the process.
Why did the government-opposition talks fail?
The two sides disagree on the cause. The PTI says the government would not commit to a unanimous counterterrorism strategy on paper and refused to include Imran Khan in the dialogue. The government, through Naqvi and Tarar, says the PTI changed the agreement and negotiated in bad faith.
What happens to the PTI’s long march now?
The PTI proceeded with its march towards Islamabad on Sunday despite government warnings. The government has threatened governor’s rule or an emergency in KP if the march continues, while Muqam said on Monday that the march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
Will the talks resume?
Both sides have left the door open. Muqam said the government was ready to talk for the betterment of the country, while the PTI insists any future dialogue must include Imran Khan.
