ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have agreed to continue negotiations with the government and may postpone the date of their planned march on Islamabad if the talks produce meaningful progress, according to accounts of an internal party meeting.
The discussions took place at a joint meeting of PTI’s political and core committees following the first round of negotiations with the government. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan briefed participants on the talks, while Salman Akram Raja said the government appeared to have a comprehensive plan for imposing an emergency, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Most participants reportedly favored keeping negotiations open. Rather than canceling the planned march, the party could move its date if the government demonstrates tangible progress, sources said.
Some participants suggested that a breakthrough might be possible if Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were able to meet PTI founder Imran Khan, who is imprisoned at Adiala jail. Others argued that PTI leaders should also be included in any such meeting.
Participants also agreed to avoid making public statements to the media while negotiations continue, according to the sources. Some members, however, criticized remarks made by Rana Sanaullah and Sherry Rehman, saying their public comments had been unhelpful.
The meeting also reviewed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s briefing on terrorism during the negotiations and his statements concerning the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Participants agreed that communication between the provincial and federal governments should continue, the sources said.
Some members proposed that PTI lawmakers resign from both the National Assembly and provincial assemblies if the government imposes an emergency, according to the accounts of the meeting.
The proposals reflect differing views within the party over how to pursue negotiations while maintaining pressure on the government. The meeting’s reported discussions do not establish that a final decision has been made on postponing the march or resigning from the assemblies.
