The PTI on Sunday asserted that the main reason for the breakdown of its talks with the Centre was that the latter refused to incorporate terms regarding access to incarcerated party founder Imran Khan into a proposed agreement.
asserted
latter → assert → agreement
Hours-long negotiations yesterday between an opposition delegation comprising the PTI and Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), and a joint team of the government and PPP, ended in a deadlock.
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negotiations → comprise → deadlock
While the federal government blamed the PTI for the failure of negotiations, the main opposition party denied the allegations and claimed that the federal government was responsible for all that happened on Saturday night.
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that → blame → night
In a press release posted on social media, the PTI expressed regret that the negotiations concluded without substantive progress, despite “serious efforts” to address concerns including political instability, access to the PTI founder as well as his medical treatment, and the worsening security situation in the country, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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negotiations → post → country
The statement said that the “principal point of the deadlock” was the party’s demand for immediate access to Imran, so that its leadership could consult him on matters of “national and political importance”.
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leadership → say → importance
According to the statement, the government agreed to restore meetings between Imran and his family members and lawyers from Tuesday, but did not agree to the additional measures concerning his medical assessment and treatment.
“In an effort to facilitate progress, the negotiating team conveyed that other demands could be set aside if the government agreed to this single request.
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government → accord → request
However, according to PTI, the government declined to make access to Imran Khan part of the proposed agreement,” the PTI said.
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PTI → accord → agreement
“PTI welcomed the resumption of family and legal meetings but stressed that such access cannot substitute for proper medical examination and necessary treatment,” the statement read, adding that the party called for Imran’s health to be addressed with “seriousness, transparency and humanitarian consideration”.
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health → welcome → seriousness
The party stressed that just as leaders of other political parties remained central to decision-making and policy, the PTI must also be allowed to consult its chairman; restricting such consultation limited the scope for meaningful political engagement, it added.
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it → stress → engagement
Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.
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Imran → imprison → case
Despite an order by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowing him twice-a-week meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays with his family, lawyers and other associates, Imran has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months.
His health has deteriorated over the course of his prison sentence, prompting outcry from members of the party.
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health → allow → party
According to the PTI, Imran’s health and medical treatment were also raised as a matter of fundamental importance in the talks, with the negotiating team seeking immediate access to him, his transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment, and the constitution of an “appropriate” medical board — including his personal physician — to ensure his proper examination, diagnosis and treatment.
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team → accord → examination
After his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January, Imran has been provided with treatment at the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
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Imran → come → Sciences
In mid-August, the Supreme Court ordered the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination and treatment.
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Court → order → examination
However, the government later revealed that Imran was instead taken to Pims, prompting a strong reaction from his family and party.
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Imran → reveal → family
Security situation in KP
The security situation in KP also featured prominently in the discussions, with the PTI saying it stressed that the concerns of the public must remain central to counterterrorism policies.
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concerns → feature → policies
According to the statement, the Centre sought the provincial government’s “unconditional support” for its counterterrorism measures and operations as well as support for imposing emergency measures within 72 hours in the merged districts and adjoining areas.
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Centre → accord → districts
“The PTI reiterated its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and stressed that eliminating terrorism, protecting citizens and restoring lasting peace must remain a national priority,” it said, adding that the party paid tribute to the officers and personnel of the authorities that have sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism and expressed solidarity with civilians and families who had suffered from terrorist violence.
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who → reiterate → violence
“Terrorism cannot be defeated through force alone or through unilateral measures that could expose innocent civilians to further loss of life, property or displacement,” the party maintained, calling for a strategy that combined “firm action against terrorism with protection of civilian populations and sensitivity to local realities”.
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that → defeat → realities
Accordingly, it proposed a meeting within 72 hours of authorised representatives of the federal and provincial governments to develop a mutually agreed strategy for peace and counterterrorism.
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it → propose → peace
It also proposed consultation with political parties represented in the KP Assembly, elected representatives, tribal elders and other relevant stakeholders in order for the policy to enjoy public confidence and be implemented effectively.
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policy → propose → confidence
PTI also rejected attempts to characterise the position of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi as political obstinacy, arguing that “had access to Imran Khan been facilitated, the chief minister could have consulted the PTI chairman directly on security and counterterrorism policy, potentially helping to bridge differences and create greater consensus”.
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minister → reject → consensus
Responding to the press conference held by federal ministers after the talks ended without result, PTI said the government should address the substantive issues that prevented progress instead of seeking to place the responsibility on the opposition.
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that → respond → opposition
It called for an explanation as to why immediate access to Imran was considered unacceptable, why requests regarding his medical care were not accommodated, and why the proposed broader consultative approach was not accepted for developing a sustainable security strategy in KP.
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approach → call → KP
The party reiterated that it remains “prepared to engage in political dialogue, constitutional processes, meaningful consultation and national consensus to address Imran Khan’s health and treatment, restoration of democracy, supremacy of the Constitution and law, political stability, terrorism and the wider challenges confronting Pakistan”.
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it → reiterate → Pakistan
The party stressed, however, that “meaningful negotiations” could not succeed through predetermined positions or demands for unconditional endorsement.
“Serious dialogue requires flexibility, mutual confidence, consultation and a genuine willingness to translate discussions into practical progress,” the statement added.
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statement → stress → progress
Salman Akram notes Centre’s ‘insistence on unilateral’ CT measures
Earlier, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja asserted that the main reason for the breakdown of talks with the Centre was the latter’s insistence on “unilateral” counter-terrorism measures in KP.
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reason → note → KP
In a post on X, Raja wrote that the “primary reason for the failure of the talks around 3am this morning” was that the “PTI-TTAP team stood firm on its principled position that anti-terrorism actions in KPK would be based on agreement between the federal government and the KPK government”.
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actions → write → government
He said the opposition wanted those actions to be “framed on the basis of consultation with, and the buy-in of, the different political parties represented” in the KP Assembly.
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actions → say → Assembly
“This was not acceptable to the government team, that insisted that all actions unilaterally initiated by it would have to be owned by the provincial government,” Raja asserted.
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Raja → insist → government
“The PTI-TTAP team was clear that we have zero tolerance for terrorism and are committed to rooting it out.
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we → have → it
We also have a clear position against so-called collateral damage in the form of innocent lives and internal displacement of the local population.”
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We → have → population
Raja noted that counterterrorism policies require support from the local population and ground intelligence.
“
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policies → note → population
The wisdom provided by the jirga held in the KP assembly of all the political and tribal notables of the province, including the merged districts, must be heeded.
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wisdom → provide → districts
“This was not acceptable to the federal government,” he wrote.
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he → write → government
In November last year, a peace jirga held at the KP Assembly, also attended by the governor, demanded that the Centre consult the KP government over Afghan policy.
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Centre → hold → policy
Tarar accuses KP govt of ‘supporting’ terrorism
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Tarar → accuse → terrorism
On the other hand, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar responded to Raja in a lengthy post on X, questioning why the KP government has not taken action against terrorism.
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government → respond → terrorism
“It is only now, when your KP government is politically weak, [that] you have started responding to the federal government’s calls for [a] joint mechanism to fight terrorism, that too only as a strategy to save your political capital in KP,” the minister alleged.
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minister → start → KP
“This is an old strategy of PTI, that when under pressure, they start talking of consultations and joint actions, but on [the] ground they do the exact opposite.”
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they → start → opposite
…and 31 more, not listed.
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