TTAP suspends all talks with government until Imran Khan meets family, doctors

TTAP halts talks with the federal government: the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday suspended all negotiations until PTI founder Imran Khan is allowed to meet his family and his doctors are granted access to him.

The announcement deepens the political standoff a day after parliament endorsed an emergency proclamation for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite recent efforts to resolve differences between the two sides through dialogue.

“Until a meeting with Imran is arranged and information about his health is provided, there will be no talks with the government,” the alliance said in a statement posted on X after a meeting chaired by its chairman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai. The statement added that Achakzai would have exclusive authority to negotiate with the government.

TTAP halts talks: the demands on the table

The alliance’s list of demands goes well beyond access to the PTI founder. It called for the release of Imran Khan’s sisters, access for his doctors, and the immediate release of K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial assembly speaker Babar Saleem Swati, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar and all arrested members of the national and provincial assemblies, as well as detained party leaders.

TTAP condemned the imposition of governor’s rule and the emergency in K-P, describing the measures as “an attack on the Constitution and the public mandate”. It demanded their immediate withdrawal and said its constituent parties would challenge the decisions in the Peshawar High Court.

The National Assembly and Senate on Wednesday approved the emergency proclamation for K-P by majority vote, following the federal government’s decision to impose the measure alongside governor’s rule on October 11. The government has defended the move on security grounds, citing deteriorating law and order and the need for closer coordination in counterterrorism efforts.

Wider demands: prisoners, Balochistan, AJK

The alliance also demanded the release of human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari, her husband Hadi Ali Chattha, Dr Mahrang Baloch and all political prisoners associated with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Our earlier reporting covered the UN experts’ call for Mazari and Chattha’s release.

On security policy, TTAP said it opposed all forms of terrorism, including violence against civilians by the state, attacks by state institutions on political parties and sectarian violence. It expressed support for the National Action Plan but called for the immediate implementation of a joint resolution adopted by a peace jirga in the K-P Assembly instead of introducing new policies.

On Balochistan, the alliance blamed the worsening security situation on what it described as an unrepresentative provincial government and failed federal policies, calling for the province’s problems to be resolved through dialogue with its people rather than force.

The statement also voiced concern over Azad Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that an “artificial system” had been imposed on its people and condemning what it described as the denial of internet access and basic necessities for five months.

From parallel arm to halted talks in 24 hours

The suspension marks a sharp turn from just a day earlier, when the alliance was planning to build its own parallel political arm as the PTI stepped back from the talks process. Now even that channel is frozen until the government provides information about Imran Khan’s health.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has defended the K-P measures as a last resort, saying the government exhausted efforts to secure the province’s cooperation on terrorism. With parliament’s endorsement secured and the opposition refusing to talk, the two sides appear further apart than at any point this week.

TTAP said restrictions on judicial independence and the media had prompted it to approach international human rights organisations and the United Nations to highlight what it described as human rights violations and breaches of the Constitution in Pakistan.

*Source: The Express Tribune*

FAQs

Why did TTAP halt talks with the government?

TTAP suspended negotiations until Imran Khan is allowed to meet his family, his doctors get access to him, and information about his health is provided.

What else is TTAP demanding?

The alliance wants detained leaders freed, including K-P CM Sohail Afridi, the K-P Assembly speaker and PTI office-bearers, plus the withdrawal of the K-P emergency and governor’s rule.

Who will negotiate for TTAP now?

The alliance said its chairman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, would have exclusive authority to negotiate with the government whenever talks resume.