Imran Khan directs party leaders to hold talks with government, establishment

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who previously adamantly refused negotiations, has instructed his party officials to initiate talks with both parliamentary and non-parliamentary leaders in an effort to de-escalate political tensions.

As per sources, Khan's party leaders will engage in talks with stakeholders both within parliament and beyond to bring the party back into the mainstream after a prolonged period of "political antagonism".

The former Prime Minister, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, firmly refuted rumours of negotiations on April 26, 2024, asserting that he would not "strike a deal with those who kept the nation in chains of slavery."

However, in a surprising shift, he has appointed a three-person committee to spearhead negotiations with the establishment, sources said.

PTI has decided to contribute to the country's political and economic stability by mending fences with its dissenters, they added.

Sources informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is also engaged in backdoor negotiations.

A day earlier, while addressing a gathering in Faisalabad, Former President Arif Alvi revealed that Imran Khan was offered to leave the country by striking a deal, "but he refused to budge".

He insisted that negotiations must be held with “stakeholders but not with the non-stakeholders.”

The politician called for an end to politics of hatred and urged everyone to work together with sincerity after which he believes a path forward built on cooperation can emerge.

During his appearance in the Supreme Court via video link for the hearing of the NAB law amendments case on Thursday, Imran Khan told Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa that he is facing “political victimisation.”

The Chief Justice advised Imran Khan to seek a resolution to the political crisis within the parliament, emphasising that "the country needs to move forward."

The cricketer-turned-politician was first sentenced in the Toshakhana case and is currently facing imprisonment in several other cases.