An internal disagreement over negotiating authority surfaced during a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party meeting, with party leaders offering conflicting accounts of whether former prime minister Imran Khan had authorized senior leader Azam Swati to hold talks with the government.
According to accounts of the meeting, Swati told participants that Khan had delegated authority to him to negotiate. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan interrupted, saying he had personally met Khan in prison and asked him about Swati’s claim. Khan, Gohar said, denied granting Swati any authority to negotiate.
Gohar added that Khan had instead designated opposition leaders Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the sole authorized representatives for negotiations. Swati subsequently left the meeting, according to the account.
The exchange came amid broader divisions within the party over whether to pursue negotiations with the government or press ahead with a long march.
Sources had earlier indicated that a majority of PTI lawmakers attending the meeting supported negotiations with the government. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri repeatedly called for talks, chanting “negotiations, negotiations, negotiations” three times, prompting applause from participants.
Mashal Yousafzai, however, expressed a lack of confidence in Sohail Afridi and the opposition leadership. She argued that Khan was unwell while Afridi had remained focused on organizing a long march rather than pursuing negotiations.
Asad Qaiser said Khan had expressed confidence in Afridi, Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas. Shafqat Awan also criticized Yousafzai for targeting party colleagues, urging her not to accuse lawmakers or Afridi.
Instead of concentrating on putting pressure on the government, Awan said, party members were directing accusations at one another.
According to sources, senior PTI leaders also expressed displeasure with Yousafzai over what they described as her unnecessary interruptions during other participants’ speeches.
The meeting highlighted tensions within the opposition party over its negotiating strategy, the authority to represent Khan and the role of a proposed long march in its campaign against the government.
