Peshawar(The COW News Digital) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has said negotiations with the government failed to produce a final agreement because of what he described as the government’s rigid position.
Speaking to the media in Swat, Gohar said PTI’s long march would continue and had not been postponed. He maintained that the party’s demands were straightforward and could be resolved through dialogue.
The PTI chairman said the party wanted a meeting with Imran Khan and his family and questioned why members of Khan’s family had allegedly been kept at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Gohar also rejected speculation that PTI was planning to withdraw from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government or dissolve the provincial assembly. He warned that PTI senators, members of the National Assembly and provincial lawmakers could be compelled to boycott proceedings if, according to the party, unconstitutional measures continued.
He claimed the provincial government had been weakened through federal interference and said the final draft of the negotiations could not be agreed upon because the government had failed to show flexibility.
According to Gohar, PTI had sought a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader during the negotiations. He said the government did not agree to any of the party’s key proposals.
The PTI chairman said the opposition had also called for a consensus-based strategy against terrorism across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. He questioned how peace could be restored if provincial officials, including chief secretaries and police chiefs, were allegedly receiving instructions from authorities outside the provincial government.
Gohar further alleged that deputy commissioners in KP were imposing Section 144 on instructions from other quarters, which he said was creating additional challenges for the provincial administration.
He said PTI had made sincere efforts to reach an understanding with the government but claimed the federal authorities had failed to respond positively. He demanded an end to what he described as federal interference in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Gohar also alleged that the province was effectively under a form of “governor’s rule” despite no formal imposition of governor’s rule. He said five major points had been discussed during the negotiations but accused the government of failing to demonstrate seriousness.
Despite the breakdown in the talks, the PTI chairman said there was still an opportunity for the government to return to negotiations. He urged the authorities to take the dialogue process seriously and work toward resolving the outstanding issues.
The remarks come amid heightened political tensions surrounding PTI’s ongoing long march and its demands concerning Imran Khan, the KP government and provincial autonomy.
