As legal and political challenges mount, PTI founder Imran Khan has agreed to initiate PTI-Establishment talks. Sources reveal that he has entrusted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his adviser Barrister Saif with the responsibility.
According to insiders, both Gandapur and Saif convinced Khan to consider discussions. Following their persuasion, he granted them the task on Wednesday. The negotiations will remain confidential until progress is achieved. A follow-up meeting between Khan and Gandapur is also expected in the coming days to advance the dialogue.
On Wednesday, Gandapur visited Imran Khan at Adiala Jail after nearly six weeks. The meeting lasted two and a half hours. The two discussed institutional conflicts and social media criticism of the party’s leadership. The KP CM also provided updates on provincial matters. After the meeting, both Gandapur and Saif exited the jail without addressing the media.
The news about PTI-Establishment talks surfaced just days after PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar dismissed speculation about any settlement. He clarified that the party had merely restored contact with the establishment. According to Gohar, final negotiations had not yet begun, and rumors about a deal were baseless.
This isn’t the first time that PTI-Establishment talks have become a hot topic. In January, similar speculation arose following a meeting between Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and PTI leaders Gohar and Gandapur.
However, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has refuted claims regarding the latest meeting. He dismissed the reports as false, stating that no one had gone to persuade Khan to negotiate. He condemned the misrepresentation of facts and emphasized that Khan’s conversation with Gandapur was only about the provincial government and party affairs. Akram further added that Gandapur would present Khan’s directives before PTI’s political committee.
Meanwhile, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, has raised concerns over restricted access to her brother. Reacting to reports of the meeting, she criticized the selective enforcement of visitation rules. Aleema stated that jail authorities had informed them that family meetings were prohibited on gazetted holidays.
“April 1 was a gazetted holiday, and we were denied permission to meet him. Our last meeting was on March 20, and we were also blocked on March 27,” she posted on X. She questioned why others were allowed access while family members faced restrictions. “Are these rules only for us? We have not been allowed to see Imran, and he is not even permitted to speak to his sons,” she added.
