Sharjeel Memon accuses K-P CM of ‘sabotaging’ govt-PTI talks

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon on Thursday accused Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” negotiations between the government and the opposition, blaming the collapse of the govt-PTI talks on the chief minister’s “stubbornness and ego”.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Memon said the talks in Islamabad had been moving toward a solution before they broke down. “The talks that happened in Islamabad were result-oriented. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party were part of it, and we were going towards a solution,” he said.

govt-PTI talks: ‘drafts of the agreement had almost been prepared’

Memon claimed the two sides had come close to a written deal. “Talks were going well. The drafts of the agreement had almost been prepared. Some channels even reported that the agreement had been signed and that everything had been settled,” he said.

He alleged that Afridi wrecked the process to protect his own standing with the PTI leadership. “I understand that the reason was that, to look good in Imran Khan’s eyes, he was doing all of this,” Memon said, adding that the consequences were being suffered by PTI and “the innocent people of K-P”.

The remarks were a direct reply to Afridi, who a day earlier had accused the PPP of trying to create “another East Pakistan” at a meeting of the K-P cabinet, and had criticised PPP’s Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for chairing a security meeting, calling it “an attack on the Constitution and democracy”.

Terrorism in K-P dominates the exchange

Memon turned much of his press conference into an attack on PTI’s record on militancy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He claimed five of the province’s seven divisions were “completely in the grip of terrorism” and said the provincial government’s priority should be protecting lives rather than long marches.

“Political disputes, protests and long marches can continue later but the immediate focus should be on protecting the lives of citizens,” he said, asking whether restoring peace should not be the provincial government’s foremost priority.

He also accused the PTI’s K-P government of officially funding seminaries linked to terrorism, cited the Bannu jailbreak and the Army Public School attack, and recalled the PPP’s post-2008 crackdown on militants, in which he said 800,000 displaced people were later resettled.

Governor’s rule question left open

Asked whether the PPP was prepared for governor’s rule or an emergency in K-P, Memon refused to treat it as a party matter. “This is not merely a matter for the People’s Party. It is an issue for every Pakistani, especially my Pashtun brothers and sisters,” he said.

He urged senior PTI figures, naming chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Asad Qaiser as “serious people”, to rein in what he called the confrontational camp. “These are serious people. They should make the decisions rather than handing decision-making authority to a young man who could lead things towards some unfortunate incident,” he said.

The exchange leaves the political temperature high on two fronts at once: the failed negotiations in Islamabad and Afridi’s long march, whose convoy entered Peshawar on Thursday on its fifth day. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has meanwhile repeated his offer of dialogue, telling PTI to end the long march and sit-ins if it wants talks.

FAQ

What did Sharjeel Memon accuse the K-P chief minister of?

Memon accused Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” the govt-PTI talks in Islamabad through “stubbornness and ego”, claiming a draft agreement had almost been prepared before the process collapsed.

What triggered Memon’s remarks?

Afridi had accused the PPP of attempting to create “another East Pakistan” and criticised Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who belongs to the PPP, for chairing a security meeting in the province.

Did Memon rule out governor’s rule in K-P?

He did not rule it out. He said it was not merely a PPP matter but an issue for every Pakistani, while insisting his party had always sought political space for PTI.

Where do the talks stand now?

The three rounds of negotiations broke down on Sunday. The prime minister has since repeated his offer of dialogue, conditional on PTI ending its long march and sit-ins.