Imran Khan agrees to govt talks, seeks private dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has agreed to initiate dialogue with the government, following a recent offer extended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the media reports, Imran Khan gave the go-ahead for talks to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who met him at the Adiala jail on Monday.

PTI insiders say the party will now formally approach the government to proceed with the dialogue. The party believes past efforts at negotiations faltered under media scrutiny and are, therefore, advocating for a more discreet and focused approach this time.

As per the media report, Barrister Gauhar confirmed that he had conveyed the prime minister’s offer to Khan. However, he refused to divulge the details of the conversation, or the direction taken by Khan. The PTI chairman said that he cannot tell what was discussed between us.

The development came after Prime Minister Shehbaz’s recent speech on the floor of the National Assembly, where he invited the PTI to join the national talks. While Barrister Gauhar had welcomed the proposal at the time, party circles had made it clear that no progress could be made without Khan’s explicit consent.

PTI sources also revealed that Khan wanted the talks to have the support of the military establishment. A source added that Khan was also ready to meet a representative of the establishment to facilitate the process.

The move comes amid growing demands for political reconciliation in the country following recent misadventures by India. Whether this behind-the-scenes dialogue will lead to any progress remains to be seen.