Naqvi says talks with opposition have collapsed, accuses KP CM of 'sabotaging' negotiation

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi declared on Sunday that the negotiations between the federal government and the opposition had failed, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had started their long march in Islamabad. Naqvi criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, alleging that he was "sabotaging" the negotiations.

The discussions took place at the Parliament House in Islamabad, starting after 4 pm on Saturday and continuing into the early hours of Sunday without yielding any results. Naqvi warned that anyone violating the Islamabad High Court's orders concerning the protest would face legal action.

Earlier in the day, Naqvi claimed that the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, mainly focusing on counterterrorism initiatives. However, shortly after the talks ended, Naqvi retracted his statement, stating that the PTI had backed out of the commitments made during the negotiations.

During the final phase of talks, the KP government abandoned the commitments they had agreed to. Naqvi emphasized that security should not be politicized during the ongoing war in the province. After the unsuccessful negotiations, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas told the media that the deadlock was over jailed PTI founder Imran Khan's meetings with his personal physicians and addressing terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Interior Minister also stated that the KP government did not want to implement the National Action Plan, and the PTI delegation left the venue feeling disappointed because they were not cooperating on terrorism. Following the allegations, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi posted on X, stating that his draft did not contain any unconstitutional or illegal demands.

He listed the demands, which included arranging meetings between the prime minister and opposition leaders, forming a joint political negotiating committee, ensuring legal, human, and medical rights for Imran Khan and his spouse, allowing Imran and Bushra Bibi to meet their family members and lawyers, taking up appeals filed by prisoners, and consulting on terrorism eradication, peace, and security.