ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has questioned the dialogue process with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government after the ruling coalition failed to arrange a meeting between incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and the party’s negotiation committee. The meeting could not be held despite earlier promises that it would go ahead.
Speaking about the delayed meeting with the former premier Imran Khan in Adiala jail before the next round of talks, the PTI leadership said doubts now loom large over whether the other side is in a position to deliver.
Despite the government side’s inability to provide its negotiation committee with access to the party supremo in Adiala jail, the PTI leadership has categorically stated that it is not backing out of the dialogue process. At the same time, it is waiting for the government’s next ‘excuse’.
“It [the delay] is affecting the dialogue process, and not only that, the failure to arrange a meeting with Imran Khan Sahib has raised a big question mark on how powerful the government, its negotiation committee, allied parties, and the deputy prime minister actually are,” PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told The Express Tribune.
“The ruling PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, and its other allies haven’t yet been able to arrange a meeting with Khan Sahib,” Akram said. “Will they be able to accept our demands, including the release of PTI leaders and workers, and the formation of judicial commissions on the May 9 and November 26 incidents?”
He rhetorically asked how the government could deliver on key demands if it can’t even arrange a meeting in jail with Imran Khan. “It’s a worrying situation.”
The PTI spokesperson recalled how the gates of Adiala Jail were opened for a PTI leader, Azam Swati, at 7am just because the government wanted to request Imran Khan to delay a planned political rally in the capital.
He added that the government and opposition were currently standing at a critical juncture of history, but all his party could see was a failure to arrange a meeting with the PTI supremo.
He, however, categorically said that PTI will not back out from the talks process, adding the negotiating committee would see what the government side says, in practical terms, during the third round of talks.
A PTI legal team member, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry, told The Express Tribune that Tuesday had been reserved for meetings with family members and lawyers while Thursday is marked for meetings with friends.
According to the schedule, Chaudhry said Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Qasim Khan Niazi met Imran on Tuesday, but the meeting with lawyers was postponed as the PTI founder sought a meeting with the negotiation committee.
Chaudhry added that last night, Adiala jail authorities were contacted on the instructions of NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub. “It was agreed with jail authorities would provide information once permission was granted for a meeting with the negotiation committee.”
However, he said, the PTI negotiation committee was not allowed to meet Khan despite waiting all day.
“This raises significant questions over whether the government negotiation team has the power to implement any substantive decision, given their admitted failure to arrange a meeting of the PTI team with Khan Sahib,” Chaudhry said.
He also emphasised that the party leaders had only been allowed a single meeting with Imran – on December 26, 2024 – in the last three months.
“It seems an unannounced ban has been imposed of Imran Khan’s meetings with his party leaders,” he said.
Access to Imran Khan has become a sticking point in talks between the two sides and dialogue seems to have hit a dead end.
The stalk process had started on December 23, in a bid to defuse tensions and mend fences. It was followed by a second meeting on January 2, 2025, but nothing concrete has materialised.
During the last two rounds of talks, the government outlined that PTI should give its demands in writing before moving ahead. On the other hand, PTI has been saying that the charter of demands can’t be finalised without meeting Imran Khan.
Since the talks began, both sides have been pointing fingers at each other over delays, and matters have moved at a snail’s pace since.
The third round of talks was expected this week, but no date could be settled.
