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

AI Summary

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says talks between the federal government and the opposition have collapsed after the PTI launched a long march, accusing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of undermining negotiations. Naqvi warned against violating an Islamabad High Court order restricting protests and said proposed agreements included counterterrorism commitments, police funding, and implementation of the National Action Plan.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that the talks between the federal government and the opposition had collapsed as the PTI had initiated its long march, accusing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” the negotiations. Naqvi was addressing a press conference in Islamabad hours after an hours-long second round of talks between the two sides ended without yielding any results. He also warned that no one would be allowed to violate the Islamabad High Court’s order regarding protest and legal action would be taken over it. The IHC order, issued on Sept 14, ruled that no political party or its leadership has the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”. Interestingly, Naqvi stressed that there “had been no request from our side for the long march to be postponed”. “When we had the first meeting, we told them that the long march was not an issue for us. However, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto had already given an indication and had also given a date. A day earlier, he had said that the PPP wanted the long march to be postponed and for the temperature to be brought down,” he added. According to the interior minister, there were two agreements to be reached — one was a “main agreement” that would cover whatever was being decided with the opposition parties, and the other was regarding counterterrorism. Naqvi detailed Saturday’s developments: “I requested CM Afridi to onboard the KP government because, definitely, the problems we are facing are coming from the KP government. He said, ‘Okay, I am going now,’ so we postponed the meeting until tomorrow. All members agreed to the postponement. They (opposition team) held negotiations with CM Afridi for four hours. The KP CM gave them his feedback and gave them the mandate that whatever they finalise with him, they should proceed with it.” Conditions and demands Earlier in the day, Naqvi also claimed on X that the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, mainly covering counterterrorism initiatives, during the talks held over the weekend, but then backtracked. According to Naqvi, the PTI had agreed to: Reconsider the Police Act 2026 in light of the security situation and the need to protect security matters from political interference Prevent terrorists from operating freely or finding safe havens in the province Unequivocal condemnation of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and all other terrorist groups Support the national policy on Afghan refugees, including repatriation and dismantling Afghan camps in KP No contact with the interim Afghan government Substantial funding for counterterrorism operations and the police Full provincial ownership of counterterrorism measures and stronger cooperation with the armed forces Decisions on counterterrorism in the former Fata and merged districts Implementation of the National Action Plan “Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP government backed out of these commitments. Security must not be politicised while the province is at war,” he said. The meeting between the opposition and federal government at Parliament House began after 4pm on Saturday, with discussions focusing on the PTI’s planned Oct 4 march to Islamabad. The talks extended into the early hours of Sunday without yielding any results. However, shortly before 3am on Sunday, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, who was part of the opposition delegation, told the media that the talks had not resulted in a breakthrough. He went on to say that the deadlock was over jailed PTI founder Imran Khan’s meeting with his personal physicians, and how to address terrorism in KP. But Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, who was part of the government’s delegation, said the talks failed primarily because the “KP government could not assure whether they would cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the future”. He alleged that the PTI’s provincial government in KP did not want to implement the NAP and that the PTI delegation that participated in the talks had also left the venue “disappointed because the KP government did not cooperate on terrorism”. Following these allegations, CM Afridi posted on X that he was sharing the text of the draft he sent to the opposition’s negotiating team, saying that “no even one demand in there was unconstitutional or illegal”. He then went on to list the demands, calling for: Arrangements for meetings between the prime minister and the leaders of the opposition in both houses of Parliament to discuss important political, national, constitutional, legal, and democratic issues, particularly those facing delays. “The two sides shall be bound to ensure effective and feasible progress within two months towards resolving the aforementioned matters through mutual consultation and negotiations.” Th