Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Monday said meaningful reconciliation with the government could not take place unless the party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, was part of the political dialogue.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, while explaining the opposition party’s position on the breakdown of negotiations with the government, said Imran Khan’s involvement was essential to any future talks.
Speaking at a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, Raja said only Imran Khan could narrow the widening divide between the state and the people.
He said the PTI had the legitimate right to consult its founder on political matters but was denied access to him during the negotiations.
Raja identified the approach to counterterrorism as another major factor behind the failure of the talks. He said the PTI had entered the negotiations in good faith and remained committed to resolving the outstanding issues through dialogue.
According to Raja, the opposition delegation had initially hoped that a further round of discussions would help resolve the differences.
However, he said the PTI was being pressured to endorse every government measure concerning counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI leader said his party had urged the government to take into account the recommendations of a jirga convened by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, which included representatives of political parties and other relevant stakeholders.
The opposition had also asked the government to consider the views of tribal elders while formulating a strategy to deal with terrorism, he added.
Raja said the PTI proposed that the agreement should contain a provision requiring both sides to formulate a joint policy on terrorism. However, the government refused to include such a commitment in the written agreement. He maintained that the government’s unwillingness to document a consensus-based counterterrorism strategy contributed to the deadlock.
Raja reiterated that the party wanted Imran Khan’s views incorporated into discussions on all major issues and had therefore sought a meeting between its leaders and the jailed PTI founder.
Two rounds of negotiations between the government and opposition on Friday and Saturday ended without an agreement, with disagreements over counterterrorism policy and access to Imran Khan emerging as key points of contention.
