Government says PTI talks can resume if long march ends and counter-terrorism progress is assured

Centre · 1Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the Prime Minister on political affairs, said on Monday 5 October that negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could resume if the party assures "positive progress" on counter-terrorism policy. 1 Centre · 1The latest round of talks between the government and PTI ended in deadlock early on Sunday 4 October, with both sides blaming each other. 1 2 Mixed · 2Accounts of the sticking point differ. Geo News reported that PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja blamed the federal government's insistence that anti-terrorism actions it started unilaterally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) be owned by the provincial government. The Hindu, citing informed sources, said the talks collapsed over access to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan: PTI wanted a meeting with him before calling off the protest, while the government wanted the protest wrapped up first. 1 3

Centre · 1Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of trying to sabotage the negotiations. 1 Centre · 1Speaking on Geo News' "Capital Talk", Sanaullah said the federal government has constitutional authority to formulate terrorism policy and provincial governments must follow it. He said PTI representatives had first agreed the federation would formulate the policy but later demanded it be based on "consensus", a position he called "constitutionally and legally incorrect". 1 Centre · 1Sanaullah said political issues, the health of the PTI founder and meeting arrangements had been settled. He said the government had agreed to a meeting between Imran Khan and his personal doctors, and that the party had been told to approach the court about the physicians. 1

Centre · 1On Afghanistan, Sanaullah said those involved in terrorist attacks were trained there and controlled from there, and he alleged that Israelis were providing technology training at militant camps. He also said 3,000 to 4,000 people had gathered when the long march began at Lakki Marwat. 1 Centre · 1PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the party was ready to talk at any time. He said PTI would withdraw from the assemblies if governor's rule or an emergency were imposed in KP, or if Afridi were disqualified. 1 Mixed · 2On Tuesday 6 October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered PTI fresh talks provided it ends its long march towards Islamabad, saying: "I urge you to come to your senses, end the long march and sit-in, and then we will sit with you." 2 3

Mixed · 2Sharif accused PTI of having only one purpose, to ensure the talks did not succeed, and of demanding changes to points already settled. He warned that long marches and sit-ins would hurt exports, imports and manufacturing, as the economy recovers after narrowly avoiding default in 2023. 3 2 Mixed · 2The march, led by Afridi, began on 4 October after the talks failed and had reached Kohat by Tuesday. PTI had earlier postponed it from 27 September, and officials had warned it would not be allowed into Islamabad. The Hindu reported that the government had threatened force, that backdoor channels were working to avoid confrontation, and that the march is expected to move towards the capital before the weekend. 2 3