A joint delegation of the PPP and the government would hold a meeting with the PTI leadership on Friday, identical statements released by the PPP and the Presidency said.
asserted
statements → hold → PPP
The decision was taken after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.
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Sharif → take → Islamabad
PTI Chairperson Barrister Gohar Khan also confirmed that a meeting between opposition and government representatives would be held on Friday.
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meeting → confirm → Friday
“PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan received a message from the government yesterday for a meeting, which he has accepted in light of the decisions made in today’s opposition meeting.
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he → receive → meeting
God willing, a meeting will take place between the opposition and government delegations in the office of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq tomorrow at 12pm,” a post on Gohar’s X account said.
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post → take → account
His announcement came after a separate meeting between PTI and opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leaders in the Senate opposition leader’s chamber.
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announcement → come → chamber
Apart from Gohar, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, NA Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, NA Chief Whip Aamer Mahmood Kamboh and TTAP spokesperson Akhundzada Yousufzai, among others, attended the meeting.
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Abbas → attend → meeting
Discussion at the meeting covered the overall political situation in the country, PTI’s planned protest march and other constitutional and parliamentary matters, a statement by opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) said.
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statement → cover → Pakistan
Following the meeting, Achakzai ruled out his participation at any meeting in the speaker’s chamber.
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Achakzai → follow → chamber
A list of prospective opposition leaders who are to participate in the meeting also did not include his name.
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who → participate → name
Yousufzai told Dawn that he, Abbas and Khokhar would represent the TTAP.
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he → tell → TTAP
A senior TTAP leader further told Dawn that even Abbas was unwilling to visit the speaker’s chamber for the meeting but had agreed to participate at the PTI’s request.
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Abbas → tell → request
The possibility of a meeting between government and opposition representative is being seen as a means to defuse the current political crisis in the country, with the PTI’s planned Oct 4 protest march to demand Imran’s release becoming the new bone of contention between the party and the Centre.
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march → see → party
As the PTI remains resolute to go ahead with the march, federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no other option but to impose the governor’s rule or emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — where Imran’s party is in the government — in light of the security situation in the province and the PTI’s protest call on Oct 4.
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party → remain → Oct
For its part, the opposition party has warned the government of dire consequences if such a decision is imposed.
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decision → warn → consequences
The TTAP, which is headed by Achakzai and also includes the PTI, has announced that it would join the protest.
‘Anywhere but not at PM Office, speaker’s chamber’
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it → head → chamber
Earlier in the day, Achakzai said he was not ready to hold parleys at the Prime Minister’s House or Office or the Speaker’s Chamber.
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he → say → House
Harsh words are rising to my lips; that is why I am silent.
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I → rise → lips
“I am ready to sit anywhere in Pakistan, under any tree.
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I → sit → tree
I am ready to visit the house of any party [leader].
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I → visit → leader
But I will not go to the speaker house [sic], the Prime Minister’s House or the prime minister’s chamber,” he said while speaking to the media at Parliament House after the opposition leaders’ meeting, standing alongside Gohar.
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he → go → Gohar
Achakzai’s remarks were in response to a question about the prime minister’s adviser, Rana Sanaullah, inviting him and PTI Chairperson Barrister Gohar to hold a sitting with the premier.
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remarks → invite → premier
The reporter asked him why the meeting was not taking place.
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meeting → ask → place
In a video clip shared by the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Achakzai also said the meeting with the prime minister would take place after a meeting with jailed former premier and PTI founder Imran Khan.
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meeting → share → premier
PM Shehbaz had extended an invitation to the NA opposition leader to sit together for consultations on the issues of national importance and those related to the PTI before leaving for the US.
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Shehbaz → extend → US
Earlier, the premier also invited Achakzai on Sept 11 for mandatory consultation on the appointment of a new chief election commissioner.
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premier → invite → commissioner
Gohar’s warning against imposition of emergency
For his part, Barrister Gohar told the media that Raja, Qaiser and Dogar had held a three-hour meeting with Abbas and Achakzai in which they had a detailed exchange of views on the problems facing the country and the current situation, particularly in KP and regarding the march preparations.
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they → tell → preparations
He condemned the “state oppression and tyranny” inflicted on the PTI and its supporters, as well as the detention and treatment of Imran’s sisters in jail.
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He → condemn → jail
The PTI chairman claimed that attempts were made to suppress his party “whenever we raise our voice for our rights and for justice in the country”.
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we → claim → country
Gohar also stressed that the party had “always stood with the state and the country”, including during the May 2025 conflict with India.
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party → stress → India
Gohar added that the leaders had also discussed reports regarding the potential imposition of emergency and warned: “The federation becomes strong when the provinces are strong and autonomous, and when the people’s mandate is respected.
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mandate → add → emergency
You will put the federation at risk if you take any action in a province that goes against the will of its people.”
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that → put → people
He reiterated that the PTI’s march would remain peaceful, saying, “This is our country; for us, Pakistan comes first, the state of Pakistan and its peace and security.”
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Pakistan → reiterate → Pakistan
The PTI chairman stated that the way to avoid a long march was not by the imposition of governor’s rule or a state of emergency, but rather by talking to protesters, listening to the purpose for which they were out on the streets, and addressing their concerns.
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they → state → concerns
“We went to the Supreme Court 19 times, but were not heard.
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We → go → Court
We went to the high court 25 times but its orders were not implemented.
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orders → go → court
A special committee was formed in Parliament, but a meeting was never called …
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meeting → form → Parliament
Even today, the same concerns persist,” he said.
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he → persist → ?
Gohar stressed that despite all this, the party was ready for negotiations and had made their demands clear before everyone.
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demands → stress → everyone
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also stressed that protesting was a constitutional and legal right, and the party would not back down from their protest.
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party → stress → protest
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
