ISLAMABAD Dec 22: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again rejected proposals for negotiations, effectively turning down an appeal made by opposition alliance leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, according to government sources.
In a recent statement posted on social media platform X, Imran Khan reiterated his stance, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram clarified that all decisions regarding the protest movement will strictly follow Imran Khan’s directives.
On the other hand, sources close to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that meaningful dialogue with PTI is not possible unless the party expresses remorse or offers an apology over the events of May 9 and the alleged anti-military campaign carried out by Imran Khan and PTI’s social media platforms.
Speaking to the media, Sheikh Waqas Akram said that since the protest policy has been issued directly by party leader Imran Khan, it will be fully implemented. He added that while Mahmood Khan Achakzai may continue his political efforts, PTI leadership remains bound by Imran Khan’s latest instructions.
According to Sheikh Waqas Akram, Imran Khan has directed the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prepare for a protest movement aimed at upholding the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.
During a national conference held by the opposition alliance a day earlier, Mahmood Khan Achakzai stated that the Constitution had been “torn apart” and urged former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to step forward and initiate talks to pull the country out of crisis.
However, government sources maintain that without an apology for the May 9 incidents — including attacks on military installations and alleged campaigns against the armed forces — no negotiations can take place. They emphasized that under such circumstances, dialogue with PTI is not possible.