ISLAMABAD: PTI leaders on Monday declared that reconciliation between their party and the government was not possible without including incarcerated party founder Imran Khan in the dialogue process.
Narrating the opposition’s stance on why the talks with the government failed over the weekend, PTI’s secretary general, Salman Akram Raja, presented his party’s demand that Imran be included in any future political dialogue.
“Only [Imran] has the capability to bridge the gulf that has developed between the state and the nation,” Raja said during the press conference held at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
“Imran Khan is very important for us and we had every right to seek his opinion, but it was not allowed,” Raja said.
The PTI leader said that another reason for the failure of the talks was that the government was not willing to pursue a collective strategy against terrorism. Raja told the media that the PTI had entered into the negotiations with sincerity and was serious about addressing the issues.
“Even on the second day, we were hoping that another round of talks would streamline things,” he said.
Describing the reasons for talks failing, Raja said: “We were being pushed to support the government over every action being taken regarding terrorism in KP.”
He added that the PTI had demanded that the government respect the recommendations and opinions of a jirga held by the KP Assembly, in which political parties and stakeholders had participated.
The jirga had recommended solutions to the problem, the opposition delegation had told the government, according to Raja.
The delegation had also asked the government to consider the opinions of tribal leaders, Raja said.
He said the PTI had suggested the agreement should mention that a collective decision would be made regarding terrorism, but the government had said it would not put it down on paper.
“We were told that a unanimous strategy against terrorism would not be developed and it would not be included in the agreement,” he said. Raja said that the government had deliberately complicated the situation.
“It is a fact that the current issues can only be addressed by Imran Khan.
“We had demanded that Imran Khan and his opinion should be included in all issues, which is why we demanded a meeting of party leaders with him,” Raja said.
The two rounds of talks between the government and the opposition held on Friday and Saturday did not yield positive results, with counterterrorism policies and access to Imran emerging as two major sticking points.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was part of the process, on Sunday singled out KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the failure of talks, saying that he changed the agreement.
Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the PTI representatives came for talks but were unwilling to abandon their “double standards and hypocrisy”.
For its part, the PTI said it wanted immediate access to party founder Imran for consultations, and even agreed to forgo other demands for this. However, the government declined to make access to Imran part of the proposed agreement, the opposition party claimed.
Addressing the failed talks, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam said on Monday that the government’s delegation had suggested that both sides “be on the same page” about terrorism.
Following the failed talks, the PTI went ahead with its protest march on Sunday despite warnings from the federal government.
KP Assembly speaker to summon security committee meeting
Against this backdrop, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati said he was going to summon another meeting of a special committee on security, which was constituted after a peace jirga in the assembly in November last year.
“I am again summoning a meeting of the special committee. I wish for the relevant authorities and institutions to sit together on this important matter,” he posted on X.
He emphasised that it was important to consider this process initiated by the KP Assembly before the Centre held the former responsible for the law and order situation in the province.
Swati recalled that political parties had issued a joint statement after the Nov peace jirga, in light of which the assembly had constituted a special committee on security. The committee, he said, was briefed by the provincial police chief, the Counterterrorism Department, the KP home additional chief secretary, the Home Department, the KP chief secretary and other relevant provincial institutions.
“We also informed the leadership in the Centre about this process and sent letters to the prime minister, the Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker and the interior minister, informing them that the assembly was moving towards [formulating] comprehensive parliamentary recommendations,” he said.
Swati said just one important official, the Peshawar corps commander, was left to brief the committee.
“I had spoken to the Peshawar corps commander and he had assured me of his participation. However, the meeting has yet to take place,” he added.
“I am again summoning a meeting of the special committee. I wish for the relevant authorities and institutions to sit together on this important matter.
“Whatever we have heard, seen, and whatever facts have come before the committee — they will present their stance; the relevant institutions will present theirs,” Swati said.
Following that, he continued, the committee would formulate its recommendations, which would be presented before the assembly.
“After the assembly’s approval, the recommendations will be forwarded to the provincial and federal governments so that responsibility, policy and practical measures are clearly [stated].”
The speaker said the people of KP wanted peace and called for the relevant parties to play their respective roles in moving towards a collective solution.
“We have to find a way while collectively implementing the National Action Plan, clarifying the responsibilities of relevant institutions,” he added.
Later, it emerged that Swati had sent a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the implementation of the joint declaration issued by the assembly’s peace jirga in 2025.
In the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Swati noted that a special committee on security had been constituted in the province to prepare a comprehensive report on the security situation after “due consultation with all relevant stakeholders”. This committee actively sought engagement with the KP governor, the provincial government, political leadership, elected representatives, the Armed Forces, and other relevant security institutions regarding the law and order situation in the province.
A peace jirga was held on Nov 12 last year in continuation of this process, Swati added, which was attended by over 30 leading members of political parties, elected representatives and other stakeholders.
“After detailed deliberations, the jirga adopted a joint declaration reflecting the collective concerns and aspirations of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly with regard to terrorism, security, and the restoration of lasting peace,” the letter stated, adding that this declaration had already been shared with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for consideration.
Swati’s letter further noted that the committee also received detailed briefings from provincial government departments and institutions about “the prevailing security situation, the nature of threats confronting the province, and the measures being undertaken to address them”.
It clarified that the committee’s objective in seeking such insight was not to interfere in the operational responsibilities of security agencies, but rather to keep elected representatives fully informed on matters that affected their constituents.
“The special committee has prepared a report on the security situation in the light of these briefings,” Swati said, noting that this was intended to be forwarded to the federal government for inclusion in the National Action Plan as well as to the KP government as part of effective counter-terrorism measures.
However, he added, the report could not be finalised as the Corps Commander, XI Corps was not available to provide a briefing. The letter noted that the committee remained engaged with his office and other stakeholders in order to finalise the report.
Once finalised, the report will be placed before the KP Assembly for adoption and shared with all stakeholders as a guiding policy document.
The speaker affirmed the provincial assembly’s readiness to fully cooperate with the federal government in efforts to curb terrorism “through the building of public opinion, owned and led by the public representatives”.
He expressed his confidence that the premier would consider the matter and extend “every possible support” towards building a national consensus for lasting peace in KP.
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