ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has urged opposition parties to respond positively if the government approaches them for negotiations, but says a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan must come first, sources said.
Achakzai reportedly conveyed the message to opposition leaders through Akhunzada Hussain. He also suggested that the government could signal goodwill by releasing Khan’s sisters.
A meeting with the prime minister would serve little purpose without access to Khan, Achakzai said, according to the sources. If such a meeting is not permitted, the opposition could consider declining talks with the premier.
The development follows earlier reports that Achakzai played a significant role in the breakdown of government-PTI negotiations. Sources cited disagreements over demands, pressure on opposition members and differences between opposition leaders and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
They also said the government’s negotiating team had authority to make decisions and showed flexibility, while the KP government declined federal assistance for districts affected by terrorism. These accounts were attributed to sources.
