PM ordered maximum political space for PTI in return for full counterterror cooperation: Talal

'We value security, elimination of terrorism, even if opposition gains political mileage,' says quoting premier

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed federal ministers to "give as much political space as can be given" to the opposition, ensuring at the same time that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) agreed to fully cooperate on anti-terrorism.

Speaking during a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi went to Lahore late at night to meet the PM Shehbaz and told him that the K-P government and the PTI had come to an agreement on terrorism.

"The prime minister said that the political space, as much as can be given, should be given," Chaudhry said, quoting PM Shehbaz as telling Naqvi, "We value Pakistan's security, the elimination of terrorism; even if the opposition is given political mileage, the political capital for parties comes and goes."

Chaudhry said PM Shehbaz gave the interior minister an example, recalling that when the country was defaulting, "we were presented with extremely difficult measures, due to which our party's political capital [and] popularity was impacted, but Pakistan was saved from defaulting."

According to Chaudhry, PM Shehbaz also said, "If terrorism is finished from Pakistan and some other party is given the political space, I am not hesitant." The prime minister added, the minister said that "as much political space as they can be given, give it to them but in any case, they should agree fully and 100% to cooperate."

Chaudhry said the meeting between Naqvi and PM Shehbaz followed the first day of talks that had left political discussions between the government and opposition moving forward.

On that day, he said, the interior minister put the government's point of view before the opposition, relating to terrorism and the K-P government's cooperation in the National Action Plan.

"The K-P government's "lack of interest over the past few years, and the promises it made regarding the forces, the budget or other reasons from which it backed off, were all placed in front of the opposition," Chaudhry said

کیا بانی پی ٹی آئی کی جانب سے بنایا گیا نیشنل ایکشن پلان خیبر پختونخوا کے خلاف تھا؟ طلال چوہدری#NationalActionPlan #PTI #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #TalalChaudhry pic.twitter.com/lYW6i8mu7h

— APP (@appcsocialmedia) October 6, 2026

As the talks progressed, however, Chaudhry said, the basic structure of the agreement was almost agreed to, which included political points and those regarding terrorism. It was also agreed to hold a second day of talks.

He said the interior minister had called the opposition leaders the night before the talks began and told them to bring one representative from the K-P government, "or else try to ensure that the K-P CM is also present during the talks."

Read: 'End long march, sit-ins and we will talk': PM Shehbaz once again extends olive branch to PTI

When the talks started, Chaudhry said, the opposition leaders announced with clarity that they retained complete authority and that the K-P government, along with the entire party, had given them authority. "Whatever they discussed, they said, would be verified by the K-P government and the party," Chaudhry stated.

He added that the point about having a representative was insisted upon again but the government was again reassured that the opposition leaders were in constant communication with the K-P government and party.

Further, Chaudhry said that after the first day of talks, some opposition members went to Peshawar, where they met the K-P chief minister, senior leaders and ministers.

"They took assurance once more regarding terrorism, on the points that the interior minister later tweeted on behalf of the federal government," the minister said. After contact that night, he added, "they again assured us that on matters related to terrorism, there was 100% agreement on the points by the federal government and this would be carried forward."

Chaudhry said that when the second day of talks started, agreement had already been reached on terrorism. "If anyone contradicts this, certainly our opposition leaders are in a fix," he said. "If they say the truthful thing, their own people run to bite them."

On the second day, Chaudhry said, the first draft, which contained all the political matters, was disagreed upon. "Their founder's health, their meetings, members' cases, countless things," he said.

"I used to think that a second Charter of Democracy was beginning," Chaudhry said, adding that "a big breakthrough had happened." In the entire agreement, he said, "for us what was a win was that in Pakistan, to end terrorism, we had successfully come to a consensus with PTI, and for us, this win was enough."

Then, Chaudhry said, at the final hour of the talks, the opposition sat in a separate room for some time and continued contact with the K-P chief minister. "Then they came out, they weren't able to meet eyes with us and they wanted permission to leave," he said. 

Further, Chaudhry said he had a few questions, noting that the K-P chief minister said they would not allow any plan against Pakhtuns or K-P. "The National Action Plan (NAP) made by their founder was that against the Pakhtuns? Was it against K-P? That they themselves were implementing?" he asked. "Was the NAP 2 not made by your leader?"

خیبر پختونخوا کے وزیراعلیٰ صرف اپنی وزارتِ اعلیٰ کو دوام بخشنا چاہتے ہیں، طلال چوہدری#KhyberPakhtunkhwa #TalalChaudhry #KPChiefMinister #PakistanPolitics pic.twitter.com/sDsmEfIRxw

— APP (@appcsocialmedia) October 6, 2026

He then asked about areas "where one's wedding is not safe, one's death or grief is not safe, where any party or protest or rally, even a coroner's meeting, is conducted under fear and threat that their leader or convoy will be attacked." "Every street of yours, big processions that aren't even thrown a rock at, there must be some relation or interest of yours that is involved, right? Chaudhry asked.

Read More: No breakthrough after marathon PTI-govt talks

"Tell me this, after 2015, on record, in 11 years not one of your provincial or national leaders was attacked by the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] or any other party in K-P or anywhere in Pakistan?" Chaudhry questioned. He argued further that in the same period, "there is not one political party whose members have not been martyred or injured or attacked in funerals, wedding houses."

"Journalists, government employees, no civil society member is safe," the minister said.

"If anyone is safe, it is PTI," he said, arguing that other than the party, "no one can do business there, no one can attain education, no one can go there to travel, no political party can go there to fight elections or partake in any political activity. If anyone does, it can only be you."

Chaudhry further said that despite the security conditions in the province, the K-P government "won't allow the use of drones." He added, "If a quadcopter attack is carried out on security forces, drones can come from Afghanistan, terrorists can fly those drones, and they can drop them on our security forces but you want to leave our security forces defenceless so that they can't use drones?"

"You deliberately want our security forces to appear weak, so that they don't use those arms that are the most effective?" he asked.