PTI's Doors Open to Fazl's Mediation Offer, Says Junaid Akbar

PTI’s Doors Open to Fazl’s Mediation Offer, Says Junaid Akbar

PTI leader Junaid Akbar said on Thursday that his party’s doors were open to the Fazl mediation offer, with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman proposing to help end the stalemate in talks between the government and the opposition. The PTI MNA, who leads the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said this on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

Fazl mediation offer: what Akbar said

Akbar said Fazl had spoken to the PTI leadership and expressed a desire to play his part in breaking the deadlock, if the party agreed. “We are political people and we understand that the issue can be solved with dialogue,” he said, adding that the effort had to be genuine talks and not a trap for the PTI.

“Whatever role he wants to play in any purposeful dialogue that happens, our doors are open,” he said, noting the party had held this position from the start. He said Fazl had not yet put forward any framework, and had been in touch with the PTI leadership while Akbar was away performing Umrah.

“We have never run from dialogue; we want that the solution be found through negotiations,” Akbar said, but drew a line at forced talks. “Our doors have always been open, but we will not sit down for negotiations at gunpoint, nor will we agree to them; no one can force us into negotiations,” he said.

Government signals on the Fazl mediation offer

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif appeared to confirm that efforts to restart negotiations were under way. “I wish a positive result comes out of the efforts of those involved in the talks. But, I have little hope. Those making efforts are my brothers and friends, and I wish them well. We should always avoid unnecessary confrontation,” he said on ARY News programme ‘Khabar Muhammad Malick Ke Saath’, adding that Fazl appeared to be involved, either directly or indirectly.

A day earlier, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said “the doors for talks are open”, recalling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call on Tuesday for the PTI to sit down with the government and abandon its protest plans.

How the deadlock happened

Over the weekend, the two sides held two rounds of talks ahead of the PTI’s march, initially aimed at Islamabad to demand the release of jailed party founder Imran Khan. The negotiations ended in a stalemate, with counterterrorism policy and access to Imran emerging as the two main sticking points. The second round, at Parliament House, began on Saturday afternoon and ran into the early hours of Sunday.

After the collapse, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” the talks, while PTI leaders said no reconciliation was possible without Imran Khan at the table. With talks dead, the PTI launched its long march, which entered its fifth day on Thursday as the convoy reached Peshawar.

Meanwhile, a delegation of opposition parties called on Fazl, who advised the government not to block the march, calling protest a democratic right. A government delegation also visited the JUI-F chief on Wednesday amid reports of a possible mediation role.

What happens next

Fazl has yet to present any formal framework for mediation. Whether he tables a plan, and whether both sides accept it, will decide if the stalemate breaks, while the PTI’s long march keeps moving and pressure on the government intact.

Frequently asked questions

Who has offered to mediate between the government and the PTI?

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has offered to play a role in ending the deadlocked negotiations, speaking to the PTI leadership and receiving delegations from both the government and the opposition.

What did Junaid Akbar say about Fazl’s offer?

The PTI MNA said on Thursday that the party’s doors were open to any purposeful role Fazl wanted to play, while stressing that talks could not be forced.

Why did the government-PTI talks fail?

Two rounds over the weekend ended in a stalemate. Counterterrorism policy and access to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan were the main sticking points.