PTI open to talk with major political parties if conditions met: Ali Muhammad Khan

Islamabad: Ali Muhammad Khan, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, on Sunday suggested that his party could consider talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to address the current political discord, provided that PTI’s conditions are met.

The relationship between PTI and the PML-N-led coalition government, already fraught since Imran Khan's removal from office in 2022, has deteriorated further.

Recently, a police raid on PTI's central office over an alleged "anti-state campaign" resulted in the arrest of PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan.

Ali Muhammad Khan was asked if PTI would be open to dialogue with PPP, PML-N, and MQM-P to mitigate political tensions. He responded affirmatively, emphasizing that negotiations are crucial.

"We can discuss matters with our allies, such as the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and the Sunni Ittehad Council, but that will not resolve our issues," he said. "Engagement with those we have disagreements with is necessary."

Last week, during an interaction with reporters from Adiala Jail, Imran Khan outlined three conditions for engaging in talks with the government: the restoration of PTI’s "stolen mandate," the release of all detained party workers, and the conduct of fair elections.

Echoing Imran Khan’s conditions, Ali Muhammad stated that PTI is ready for negotiations if certain prerequisites are fulfilled.

“We want the politically motivated cases against our supporters to be withdrawn,” he remarked. “The government should apologize for the FIRs filed against us.”

Ali Muhammad underscored the importance of PTI’s primary demand, which is the return of their mandate.

“The government and opposition could agree to bring the matter before the Supreme Court for resolution,” he suggested. “The more we delay talks, the worse the situation will become.”

He noted that if negotiations fail, PTI’s last resort would be to protest.

“Political instability from protests harms the nation, affecting law and order and the economy. Dialogue and maintaining relationships are crucial for national stability,” he added.

Regarding Imran Khan’s stance on negotiations, Ali Muhammad affirmed that Khan remains open to talks with the government.

“I’ve frequently met with Imran Khan since the elections, and he has consistently shown openness to discussions. However, these talks need to be meaningful and yield tangible outcomes,” he said.

Ali Muhammad also clarified that negotiations should occur between political parties, not between parties and the establishment.

“There is no constitutional provision for negotiations between political parties and the establishment,” he explained. “Engagement with the establishment is separate from political negotiations.”