'Talks don't take place through multiple doors': Senator Siddiqui on Gohar-COAS meeting

The opposition and government remain divided over negotiation channels.

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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui has criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s recent remarks about meeting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, questioning the credibility of what he called "backdoor negotiations."

Senator Siddiqui shared what he knew about the discussions and their details, arguing that negotiations cannot succeed through "multiple doors," Express News reported.

He suggested PTI should formally acknowledge the talks and reassess its approach.

The PML-N lawmaker said the PTI should focus on a single negotiation channel rather than seeking multiple entry points into the political process.

His comments came after Barrister Gohar confirmed that he along with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had met Army Chief General Asim Munir. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan had reportedly welcomed the meeting, calling it a positive step.

Barrister Gohar, while speaking outside Adiala Jail, said the talks aimed at ensuring political stability in Pakistan. He insisted that any meetings he attends are under Khan’s instructions.

 

 

He further stated that PTI had always been open to dialogue, but the other side had kept its doors closed. Now that talks had begun and were progressing, he saw it as a beneficial step for the country's stability. He also reiterated PTI’s two key demands: the formation of a judicial commission and an inquiry into two specific incidents.

The PTI chairman confirmed that he and Ali Amin Gandapur had met with the army chief, stating that the meeting took place in Peshawar, where they presented their entire case before him.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan described direct negotiations with the establishment as a positive step, adding that there had been a constructive response from the other side.

He concluded that the initiation of talks was a welcome move and that all PTI's demands had been formally presented.

The meeting came a day before Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted and sentenced to 14 and seven years, respectively, as an accountability court in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail announced its reserved verdict in the £190 million case, having previously delayed the ruling three times.