Pakistan Government-Opposition Talks Fail as PTI Begins Protest March

DID Press: Talks between representatives of Pakistan’s federal government and opposition parties ended without a final agreement at the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly. The main obstacle was reportedly a dispute over a meeting between senior members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and jailed party founder Imran Khan.

Following the failed talks, PTI and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the launch of a “grand march” to pursue what they described as legal demands and defend constitutional rule.

During the negotiations, government representatives, including Rana Sanaullah and Sherry Rehman, accused the opposition and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of failing to cooperate in implementing the National Action Plan against terrorism. They warned that protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad and that authorities would take firm action against any disruption of public order.

Opposition leaders, including Gohar Ali Khan and Allama Nasir Abbas, said peaceful demonstrations were a legal right. They maintained that no final agreement with the government would be reached until arrangements were made for a direct meeting with Imran Khan.

Before the talks, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had consulted President Asif Ali Zardari and legal experts over the proposed agreement.

The breakdown in negotiations marks a new stage in the dispute between Pakistan’s federal government and PTI, as the opposition’s protest march and the government’s warnings over access to Islamabad add to political tensions in the country.