Pakistan’s talks leave Imran Khan’s party march in place
Pakistan’s government and opposition ended a second round of talks without announcing an agreement before the planned October 4 march for Imran Khan’s release. The opposition sought access to the jailed former prime minister before withdrawing the march call; government negotiators sought cancellation first. Khan’s medical care and security operations in opposition-governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also discussed. No shared agreement was announced on those demands or on cancellation of the march.
Geopolitics··Midday
Meeting Khan and cancelling the march divide negotiators
Pakistan’s government and opposition concluded a second round of negotiations without a shared agreement before the march planned for October 4. The talks began on October 3 at Parliament House in Islamabad and continued past midnight. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, maintained its call for a march seeking his release. The opposition wanted its leaders to meet Khan before withdrawing that call, while the government sought cancellation first. October 4 was the proposed starting date; the negotiations did not establish that marchers had reached the capital.[1], [2]
Medical access and prisoner releases remain on the table
Senate opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas identified access to Khan and his personal doctors among the disagreements. The opposition’s demands also included transferring Khan to Shifa International Hospital, releasing detained leaders and his sisters, and bringing forward hearings for Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. Opposition alliance leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai said the negotiating team and provincial chief minister Sohail Afridi had no mandate to withdraw the march call. He said a meeting with Khan had to take place before the march’s fate was announced.[1], [2]
A draft dealing with emergency powers and the march was prepared but had not been issued. Pakistan Peoples Party negotiator Naveed Qamar called the talks successful and said the draft would be finalised after changes. PTI interim chairman Gohar Ali Khan indicated that the march could be cancelled if the demands were met and emergency or governor’s rule was excluded. Those statements did not amount to a jointly announced settlement.[2]
Provincial security operations are part of the dispute
PTI governs Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, whose chief minister Afridi criticises federal security operations and alleges civilian harm from drone attacks. Government representative Tallal Chaudhry accused the provincial administration of failing to assure counterterrorism cooperation and called for compliance with the National Action Plan. Abbas also named the management of those operations as a negotiating issue. Governor’s rule has been discussed at federal level, without an announced decision to impose it. An earlier march was postponed in late September amid road containers and transport restrictions. President Asif Ali Zardari met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before the renewed negotiating round.[1]
