ISLAMABAD:
PTI Chairman Ali Gohar Khan confirmed on Friday that talks between the PTI and the ruling PML-N will continue, despite the conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife in a corruption case.
Gohar quoted Imran Khan as saying, “These talks will not end because of this verdict,” referring to the accountability court’s sentencing of the former Prime Minister to 14 years in prison in the £190m Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.
He stated that the PTI would wait to see if the government establishes judicial commissions to investigate the May 9 and November 26 incidents. Imran Khan had previously indicated that the talks would proceed, but if there is no progress within a seven-day deadline given to the government, further discussions would be halted.
“The PTI has submitted its charter of demands, and we will wait to see how the government responds,” Gohar added.
Gohar also emphasized that Imran Khan remains in high spirits and unafraid of the conviction. He expressed confidence that the higher judiciary would soon overturn the sentence in the Al-Qadir case.
The PTI Chairman reiterated that Imran Khan has consistently voiced concerns about people not receiving justice from lower courts, which undermines public trust in the judiciary. “Nations fall apart when justice is absent,” Gohar warned, urging people to remain hopeful, as he believes justice will ultimately prevail.
The government-PTI negotiations, which began on December 23, have seen three rounds of talks so far, focusing on key issues and potential solutions to bring political and economic stability to the country.
When asked if backchannel negotiations are still ongoing, Gohar hesitated briefly but confirmed, “This is the channel, and it will continue.”
The third round of talks was delayed until after the corruption verdict was announced, with the government demanding a charter of demands from PTI, while PTI insisted that they would only submit their demands after meeting Imran Khan in jail to finalize them.
Surprisingly, the verdict announcement was delayed three times, as talks stretched into a third week without progress. However, the PTI negotiation committee was eventually allowed to meet Imran Khan in jail to discuss and finalize the demands, which were then presented to the government side.
Among the demands, PTI has called for judicial inquiries into the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, incidents, along with the release of “political prisoners.” Additionally, PTI and its allies have sought the government’s support in securing bail, sentence suspensions, and acquittals for the “political prisoners” identified by the party.
