Attaullah Tarar denies any government 'deal' with Imran Khan
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar speaking during the National Assembly session in Islamabad on May 6. — Photo: Radio Pakistan
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly dismissed media reports suggesting any “deal” between the government and jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
In a statement shared on X, Tarar said, “There is neither any deal nor any leniency for Imran.” He added that any suggestion of the government granting Imran Khan concessions was “entirely false and misleading”.
وفاقی وزیرِ اطلاعات عطاء اللہ تارڑ کی میڈیا میں بانی پی ٹی آئی کی ڈیل کے حوالے سے خبروں کی سختی سے تردید
عمران خان کے حوالے سے نا کوئی ڈیل ہے اور نا ہی کوئی ڈھیل ہے۔ وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات
عمران خان کو کسی بھی قسم کی رعایت کا تاثر دینا بالکل غلط ہے۔ وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات
عمران…Tarar concluded with, "Imran Khan is a convicted criminal, and the news regarding his release is baseless. There is no truth in this news."
Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and the PTI call politically motivated. Since his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.
Tarar’s statement comes after recent remarks by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, who said attempts were made to find a solution, but Khan was not willing to accept “any deal”.
“He is not ready for any deal,” Sanaullah told a private news channel on Wednesday. “Two serious efforts were made, but not only did he refuse, but his demands were such that the current government could not fulfil them.”
Sanaullah explained that the first attempt involved Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the aftermath of the November 2024 protests. A second effort involved individuals from abroad who met with Imran Khan, but he eventually stepped back from any agreement, according to Sanaullah.
Read: TTAP ends Parliament protest, raises concerns over Imran Khan’s health
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif shared videos on his X, stating that he denied any idea of a deal. "They were never offered a deal. This is my guess, I heard the entire interview, and what I gathered is that talks happened to lower temperatures," he said.
عمران خان کوکوئی ڈیل آفرنہیں ہوئی تھی،وزیردفاع خواجہ آصف🚨
علی امین گنڈاپورکی باتوں سےظاہر ہوتاہےکہ کسی نہ کسی اسٹیج پہ ٹمپریچرنیچےکرنےکی بات ہوئی ہو،محسن نقوی نےاگرکوئی کوشش کی ہےکہ لاءاینڈآرڈرٹھیک کیاجاسکے، احتجاجی سلسلےکوروکاجاسکےتوسیاسی لوگ اس قسم کی کوششیں کرتےہیں،خواجہ آصف pic.twitter.com/KRqSMY93g1If Mohsin Naqvi has made any effort to restore law and order and stop the series of protests, then politicians make such efforts, the defence minister added.
The remarks come after the Supreme Court was informed that only 15% of Imran's vision remains in his right eye. The information was conveyed to the apex court by PTI counsel Advocate Salman Safdar, who quoted the former premier as saying that he had been left with only 15pc vision in his right eye following medical complications.
The development caused an outcry from the opposition ranks, who slammed the government for allowing Khan's health to deteriorate to this level.
Regarding the second effort to reach an understanding, Sanaullah said he could not disclose full details but confirmed that some individuals had arrived from abroad and had connections with Imran Khan. “They also met with Imran Khan sahib, and according to my information, he initially agreed with them but later withdrew from the arrangement,” Sanaullah added.
In January 2026, Sanaullah had noted that while PTI leaders were seeking dialogue with the government, Imran Khan opposed any such engagement.
On Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary Barrister Danyal Chaudhry also dismissed reports of a “deal” with Khan, stating that the former prime minister had sought concessions from the very beginning. “We are willing to hold talks, but we will not entertain any form of blackmail. The only justification for sending Imran Khan abroad for treatment would be if, God forbid, he is suffering from a life-threatening condition that cannot be treated in the country,” Chaudhry said.