Imran Backs Gohar Dialogue Push From Adiala
PTI founder Imran Khan has backed party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s push for dialogue, urging that political disputes be settled through talks rather than confrontation. Imran backs Gohar dialogue efforts after meeting his lawyers at Adiala Jail on Wednesday, sources told The Express Tribune.
The meeting brought together Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi, and lawyers Barrister Salman Safdar and Latif Khosa. It lasted about four hours and came a day after the Islamabad High Court ordered the jail authorities to let the legal team meet the couple.
Imran backs Gohar dialogue: what was agreed
Sources said Imran endorsed Gohar’s conciliatory approach and asked him to keep up the effort. The Express Tribune reported the account on Friday. He directed party leaders to draw up a future course of action and to brief him on the way forward.
The talks covered the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, possible legal relief for Imran, the release of his sisters and medical treatment for Bushra Bibi. Imran was also briefed on the recent long march, the situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the wider political scene.
Those present favoured talks over confrontation, the sources said. Imran also told the lawyers that he keeps up with events by watching television news and reading newspapers in jail.
Dawn confirmed the meeting took place and reported that Khosa later confirmed the 28th Amendment had come up in the talks. The lawyers left Adiala without speaking to the press, but Khosa later spoke about the meeting on video.
No return to standing committees
Despite backing talks, Imran drew a line on parliament. He directed the party not to return to the standing committees of the National Assembly and Senate for now. There was no discussion of resignations or of leaving parliament, the sources said.
The instruction matters because the PTI quit the committees months ago in protest. A return would have signalled a full thaw. Imran’s stand keeps the pressure on while talks stay open.
The meeting also touched on the courts. Gohar had arranged a November 9 meeting between lawyer Ali Zafar, Safdar and the chief justice, which he also attended; Safdar’s jail meeting with Imran was fixed then, and Khosa was added later.
With a Supreme Court hearing not possible at once, because of the wedding of the son of Justice Shahid Waheed, the lawyers were advised to approach the Islamabad High Court for urgent relief.
28th Amendment still undecided
On the proposed 28th Amendment, Imran took no decision. He said no call would be made until the contents of the draft law became clear. Party leaders and lawmakers will first study the proposed changes and then brief him, the sources said.
The amendment sits at the heart of the current political debate. Rana Sanaullah has already discussed the 28th Amendment with the party, and a referendum on new administrative units is also on the table. A plan for 12 new provinces has fed the same debate.
The release of Imran’s sisters also came up. Two of them, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan, were freed on Thursday after their detention orders were withdrawn. Imran directed party leaders to seek the release of the third sister, Aleema Khan, who remains in Kot Lakhpat Jail. His sisters spent 50 days in detention before their release.
Health was on the agenda too. Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on the night of November 10-11 for a check-up and follow-up eye treatment. Gohar has demanded that he be moved to Shifa International Hospital, citing a Supreme Court order of August 18 that directed the shift for a medical examination. Imran has also used jail meetings to send messages to his party.
A note of caution on jail accounts
Accounts of what Imran says in jail need care. The sources in this report spoke on condition of anonymity, and the claims could not be checked against the jail record. One claim in particular needs a caveat. The sources said Imran described the loss of the PTI government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as not necessarily a bad development, given the size of the province and the difficulty of governing it.
Gohar denied a similar report about an earlier jail meeting on November 3. He said Imran never used such words and called the report “completely false”. That denial concerned a different meeting, but it shows why jail accounts should be treated with care.
Readers should also beware of fake images. Viral visuals that claimed to show Imran meeting his lawyers at Adiala on November 11 were AI-generated, according to a fact check. The photo with this story is a file photo from Imran’s time as prime minister, not from the jail meeting.
Frequently asked questions
What did Imran Khan say about dialogue?
Sources said Imran endorsed Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s conciliatory approach and asked him to keep working for dialogue. He directed party leaders to draw up a future course of action.
Who met Imran at Adiala Jail?
Lawyers Barrister Salman Safdar and Latif Khosa met Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi at Adiala Jail on Wednesday. The meeting lasted about four hours and followed an Islamabad High Court order to facilitate it.
Has the PTI decided on the 28th Amendment?
No. Imran said no decision would be taken until the contents of the draft law became clear. Party leaders and lawmakers will study the proposed changes first and then brief him.
Will the PTI return to parliament’s standing committees?
Not for now. Imran directed the party not to return to the National Assembly and Senate standing committees. There was no discussion of resignations or of leaving parliament.
What happened to Imran’s sisters?
Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan were freed on Thursday after their detention orders were withdrawn. Aleema Khan remains in Kot Lakhpat Jail, and Imran has asked party leaders to seek her release.
