Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is now open to political dialogue, as per reported.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Gandapur emphasized the need to put national interest above personal pride.
“Those turning this into an issue of ego are damaging Pakistan. We must rise above personal interests and think in the national interest,” he said. “Imran Khan has agreed to negotiations and has clearly said he is ready to talk for the betterment of Pakistan,” he added.
The chief minister also spoke about the legal steps being taken for Khan’s release. “Petitions are underway for Imran Khan’s release,” he noted.
“As the chief executive of a province, I have a court order allowing me to meet him weekly. These meetings are crucial for consultation, especially with the provincial budget approaching.”
Gandapur underlined the importance of Khan’s guidance in running the province. “Imran Khan is the head of the party that governs the province.
His vision must be reflected in our policies. If I am not allowed to meet him, how can I implement that vision?”
He didn’t hold back in his criticism of the federal government, blaming it for the country’s current turmoil. “Pakistan is going through a phase of serious instability, and the root cause lies with those currently in power,” Gandapur stated.
Efforts to bridge the political divide began in December 2024, when the government and opposition initiated talks to tackle the nation’s ongoing political and economic challenges. However, progress stalled after just three rounds of dialogue.
During the third round, PTI laid out a charter of demands, calling them a “prerequisite to wider negotiations” on other issues.
But the talks came to an abrupt stop when Imran Khan declared that the government had failed to form a judicial commission within the agreed one-week timeframe.
The following day, PTI leader Barrister Gohar offered a more cautious perspective, indicating that the talks had only been paused, not ended.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an invitation to PTI to resume discussions via a parliamentary committee. However, Imran Khan, who remains in jail, turned down the offer and dissolved PTI’s negotiation committee.
He instead instructed the group to form a coordination committee focused on building a broader opposition alliance.