ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has confirmed that the party has accepted the government’s invitation for talks as the October 4 long march approaches.
Speaking on Thursday, Gohar said the government had conveyed its invitation and that the opposition decided to accept it following consultations among its leaders.
According to the PTI chairman, representatives of the government and opposition will sit down for discussions at noon on Friday in the office of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
The talks come ahead of PTI’s planned march towards Islamabad, which was shifted from September 27 to October 4. The party has linked its protest to demands concerning the release of its founding chairman Imran Khan and what it describes as constitutional supremacy.
Gohar had previously indicated that PTI was willing to engage with the government, saying the party would welcome any formal initiative for negotiations.
He also stressed the need to address the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, maintaining that terrorism should not be turned into a political issue.
The PTI chairman warned that any move towards imposing governor’s rule in KP could further intensify tensions and deepen political divisions.
Opposition seeks talks without conditions
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also backed dialogue but said negotiations should not be tied to preconditions.
He said the opposition was prepared to engage with political opponents if the objective was to address issues in the national interest.
Nasir Abbas maintained that the proposed march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would remain peaceful.
Gohar reiterates stance on PTI march
Gohar has also maintained that PTI’s October 4 protest plan remains in place. Recent party statements have ruled out another postponement, while the political committee has endorsed the scheduled march.
He reiterated that PTI would continue its protest until its demands were addressed, while calling for political issues to be handled through dialogue.
Achakzai objects to talks at official offices
Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said he was willing to participate in dialogue but would not attend meetings at the Prime Minister’s House, the Prime Minister’s Office or the National Assembly speaker’s chamber.
Achakzai said he could meet political leaders elsewhere, including at their residences, and even quipped that he was prepared to hold discussions “under a tree” anywhere in Pakistan.
He also repeated his objections to the formation of the government and alleged that the electoral mandate of millions of Pakistanis had been denied.
The planned government-opposition meeting marks a direct contact between the two sides as political tensions continue to build ahead of PTI’s October 4 march.
