No Blackmailing, Talks with PTI Only on Legitimate Issues

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stated that dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is possible only on legitimate demands, adding that any attempt to use talks as a means of blackmail would not be accepted.

While addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, the prime minister said that PTI founder Imran Khan and his associates had been speaking about negotiations. He recalled that he had earlier invited PTI leadership for talks and had also extended the offer on the floor of the National Assembly.

“Discussions can take place only on genuine and lawful demands. Blackmailing in the name of negotiations will not succeed,” the prime minister remarked.

His comments came two days after jailed PTI founder Imran Khan rejected a call for dialogue made by opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai. In a post on Imran Khan’s X account, he urged party leaders to prepare for a street movement, calling on the nation to rise for its rights.

Read more: Which Tea Is Healthier for Daily Consumption? Experts Share Insights

Responding to the developments, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that since the directive for a protest movement had come directly from Imran Khan, it would be followed by the party. He added that while Mahmood Khan Achakzai was free to pursue his own political efforts, PTI leaders were bound to act in line with Imran Khan’s instructions. According to Akram, the former prime minister has directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to prepare for protests in support of the rule of law and constitutional supremacy.

Meanwhile, a source close to the federal government said that meaningful dialogue with PTI would not be possible unless the party expressed regret or offered an apology over the May 9 incidents and alleged anti-army campaigns on social media.

Earlier, speaking at a national conference of the opposition alliance, Mahmood Khan Achakzai claimed that the Constitution had been badly undermined. He urged former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to step forward and initiate dialogue to help steer the country out of the current crisis.