Slug: pti-lawmakers-back-talks-restore-kp-government
Category: National
Focus keyphrase: PTI K-P government talks governor’s rule
SEO title: PTI Lawmakers Back Talks to Restore K-P Government
Meta description: PTI’s K-P lawmakers have backed negotiations to restore the provincial government and free detained leaders, as internal rifts spill into the open.
Tags: PTI, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, governor’s rule, Sohail Afridi, Barrister Gohar, Imran Khan, negotiations, provincial government
Original element: own data point — this is a genuine new development in our own heavily-covered K-P thread: the parliamentary party’s online meeting backing talks is the first formal PTI-side move toward negotiations since governor’s rule was imposed, linked below to our earlier coverage of the standoff.
PTI Lawmakers Back Talks to Restore K-P Government
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s parliamentary party in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has backed talks with the government and the establishment to restore the provincial government and secure the release of detained Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other cabinet members and lawmakers.
The lawmakers, who held an online meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation after the imposition of governor’s rule, urged the party’s central leadership to ensure the parliamentary party was represented in any negotiations. Participants expressed concern that the leadership had not consulted them on its future strategy, and agreed on the need for a joint approach.
It is the first formal PTI-side signal toward negotiations since the Centre moved against the provincial government — a standoff that has already seen Shehbaz Sharif reach out to allies and ministers float emergency rule in the province.
Internal rifts spill into the open
At the same time, differences within the party have surfaced over the K-P chief ministership, the party leadership and fears of a possible forward bloc. The friction prompted party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to publicly ask leaders to stop criticising one another.
The immediate trigger was a purported audio recording of former K-P chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticising the party’s secretary general, Salman Akram Raja, over his handling of party affairs — which Gandapur said contributed to the governor’s rule and the party’s present predicament.
Gandapur reportedly demanded that Raja delete a recent social media post, apologise and substantiate his allegations. He also questioned Raja’s claims about lawmakers allegedly planning to announce a provincial president and a new chief minister candidate without Imran Khan’s approval.
In his post, Raja had warned that the party’s unity was under attack by “undemocratic decision-makers”. He alleged that a group had cut contact with Afridi and his team, paving the way for the emergency and governor’s rule, and urged members not to heed conspiracy claims before an investigation.
Raja also maintained that Junaid Akbar remained the PTI provincial president, with Ali Asghar Khan serving as acting president in Akbar’s absence, and that Afridi continued to hold the chief minister’s office under the Constitution.
Gandapur objected to Raja’s remarks, including his reference to “snakes and snails”, saying such language insulted lawmakers who had stood by Khan for decades. Former minister Aftab Alam and other lawmakers also urged Raja to consult the provincial parliamentary party before commenting on sensitive matters.
Gohar calls for calm, Dogar signals talks
Gohar said he had spoken to Gandapur, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Ali Asghar Khan and Raja, asking them to stop issuing statements against one another. He reiterated that Afridi was, and would remain, the PTI’s chief minister in K-P.
PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar signalled the possible resumption of talks with the government, while dismissing reports of divisions. He said party founder Imran Khan had entrusted the National Assembly and Senate opposition leadership to Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas respectively, and no change could be made without Khan’s consent.
He maintained that Afridi was the party’s constitutional and lawful chief minister in K-P and enjoyed Khan’s confidence. “Any attempt to replace him without approval would amount to stabbing the party in the back,” he said.
Dogar expressed the hope that negotiations with the government would resume in the coming days, despite what he called “unprecedented oppression”, adding that more than 10 PTI members of the National Assembly were in jail.
The comments follow Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s recent remarks that a ban on the PTI may no longer be needed after the imposition of governor’s rule — a sign that both sides are testing the ground for a political settlement.
Frequently asked questions
What did the PTI parliamentary party decide?
On Wednesday, PTI’s K-P Assembly lawmakers backed negotiations to restore the provincial government and free detained leaders, asking that the parliamentary party be represented in any talks.
Who is the PTI’s chief minister in K-P?
The party maintains that Sohail Afridi is its constitutional and lawful chief minister and continues to hold the office, a position reiterated by both Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Whip Amir Dogar.
What caused the internal rift?
A purported audio of former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticising Secretary General Salman Akram Raja’s handling of party affairs, and Raja’s social-media warnings about “undemocratic decision-makers” and a possible forward bloc, brought the disagreement into the open.
*Source: The Express Tribune, October 22, 2026*
