Naqvi-PTI meeting sparks controversy

Raises questions over internal communication and coordination within party

ISLAMABAD:

A quietly held meeting between senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has triggered a debate of possible back channel contacts between the opposition party and powers that be and also raised questions over internal communication and coordination within the party after it emerged that party founding chairman Imran Khan's family had no prior knowledge of the engagement.

A post circulating on X on Sunday initially claimed that Imran's sister Aleema Khan was present during a meeting involving PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi with the interior minister.

Aleema Khan swiftly rejected the claim on X, clarifying that no member of Imran Khan's family was present at the meeting and that the family had not been informed beforehand. Her denial, however, inadvertently confirmed the meeting's existence, setting off a chain of queries that brought the encounter into public focus.

Rumours regarding a meeting between Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and the interior minister at the former's residence had been circulating for several days, although neither PTI nor Barrister Gohar had confirmed it during that period.

The matter remained publicly unaddressed until Aleema Khan's statement brought it into the spotlight, after which Sohail Afridi's name also surfaced in connection with the meeting and was later acknowledged by PTI's senior leadership in response to queries.

The Express Tribune reached out to Barrister Gohar Ali Khan for confirmation of the reported meeting and its agenda. He confirmed that the meeting had taken place and reiterated that no member of Imran Khan's family was present. However, he did not respond to further questions regarding the agenda or detailed points of discussion.

Separately, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas, responding to The Express Tribune's queries, said he had personally contacted Barrister Gohar, who confirmed the meeting and the presence of Sohail Afridi. He stated that the meeting took place on May 14 and was strictly related to law and order matters, including the Bannu security situation and broader public order concerns.

He further said that Imran Khan's family was not informed about the meeting as the matter did not concern them, adding that Barrister Gohar, as part of the party's senior leadership, was authorised to engage in such discussions. According to him, participants maintained that the discussion remained limited to security and public order issues.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, in a post on X while quote-tweeting Aleema Khan, also confirmed that his meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was held in relation to recent terrorist incidents in Bannu and the broader law and order situation in the province. He categorically stated that no political discussion took place during the meeting, adding that reports suggesting otherwise were incorrect.

The Bannu security context cited by Afridi is grounded in a recent and serious incident. On the night of May 9, five days before the meeting took place, a devastating attack struck a police outpost in Bannu district when an explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into the post, followed by a coordinated assault involving heavy weaponry and drones.

The attack was claimed by Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a newly emerged armed group. In the days that followed, a joint operation by the Pakistan Army, police and Counter Terrorism Department was launched in the area, killing 16 terrorists including two commanders. It is against this immediate backdrop that PTI representatives have described the May 14 meeting as being focused on law and order and security coordination.

While the K-P chief minister's clarification addressed the nature of the meeting, the development has nevertheless drawn attention in political circles due to questions surrounding its timing and the limited public awareness around it.

The development comes against the backdrop of prolonged concerns over Imran Khan's health during his incarceration at Adiala Jail.

Khan was taken to PIMS on a few occasions in recent months for treatment of a deteriorating eye condition, with his legal team filing petitions in the Islamabad High Court seeking access to specialist care and the presence of his personal physicians.

A follow-up examination by a joint medical board in March reported improvement in his condition, though the family disputed the government's assessment and insisted no medical decisions should be taken without their consent.

The episode has also drawn renewed attention to a recurring tension between the Khan family and the party's senior leadership over internal communication and consultation.

In February, Aleema Khan publicly rebuked the party leadership over its handling of the medical situation, objecting to what she described as decisions taken without the family's knowledge.

Gohar himself acknowledged a communication gap within the leadership at the time, while stressing that efforts for Imran Khan's release remained coordinated.

The latest episode in which a meeting with the interior minister was held and only came to light through a social media post appears to reflect that same unresolved tension.