Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has agreed to engage in political dialogue, Express News reported.
“Those turning this into an issue of ego are damaging Pakistan. We must rise above personal interests and think in the national interest,” Gandapur said while speaking to reporters in Peshawar. “Imran Khan has agreed to negotiations and has clearly said he is ready to talk for the betterment of Pakistan,” he added.
The CM also addressed ongoing legal efforts for Khan’s release. “Petitions are underway for Imran Khan’s release,” he noted, adding, “As the chief executive of a province, I have a court order allowing me to meet him weekly. These meetings are crucial for consultation, especially with the provincial budget approaching.”
Stressing the importance of Khan’s input in provincial governance, Gandapur said: “Imran Khan is the head of the party that governs the province. His vision must be reflected in our policies. If I am not allowed to meet him, how can I implement that vision?”
He also criticised the current federal leadership, blaming it for the country’s instability. “Pakistan is going through a phase of serious instability, and the root cause lies with those currently in power,” he said.
Negotiations between the government and the opposition began in December, 2024, with the aim of finding a mutually acceptable solution to the country’s political and economic crises, and to resolve long-standing contentious issues. However, the process hit a snag after just three rounds of talks.
Read more: Talks with govt put on hold: PTI chairman
During the third round, PTI presented a charter of demands, calling the proposals a “prerequisite to wider negotiations” on other matters. Seven days later, Khan abruptly ended the dialogue, stating that the government had failed to meet the party’s demand to form a judicial commission within a week.
A day after Khan’s announcement, PTI leader Barrister Gohar contradicted the statement slightly, suggesting that the talks had merely been placed on hold.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited PTI to resume dialogue through a parliamentary committee. However, the jailed PTI founder declined, eventually dissolving the party’s negotiation committee and directing its members to serve instead as a coordination committee tasked with building a grand opposition alliance.
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