Islamabad: The latest statement issued by Imran Khan on the social platform “X” has practically dismissed Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s call for dialogue, while the PTI Secretary Information has clarified that the future course of the protest movement will solely be determined by Imran Khan’s instructions, which remain final and binding.
On the other hand, sources close to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif state that without remorse or an apology from PTI over the events of May 9 and the party’s anti-army campaign on social media, any meaningful negotiations with the party are simply impossible.
When contacted, PTI Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram said that the policy regarding the protest movement has been directly laid out by Imran Khan himself, therefore the party will strictly adhere to it. According to him, Mahmood Khan Achakzai may continue his political activities and his call for dialogue, but PTI leadership is committed only to the fresh directives issued by Imran Khan.
He further stated that Imran Khan has directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister to prepare comprehensively for a protest movement aimed at upholding the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.
At yesterday’s national conference, opposition alliance leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai had said that the Constitution had been torn apart, urging Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to step forward and initiate talks to steer the country out of crisis. The same day, Imran Khan’s statement on “X” not only criticized a field marshal but also instructed KP Chief Minister Suhail Afridi to prepare for the protest movement.
In a conversation with The News, the PTI Secretary Information reiterated that the party will align strictly with Imran Khan’s policy direction. When senior government sources were asked about the government’s response to Achakzai’s offer for dialogue, they said that considering the grave offences of May 9 and the anti-army campaign run by PTI and its founder, any negotiations are out of the question.
According to the sources, the Shehbaz Sharif-led government maintains that talks cannot proceed without remorse or apology. They added that these individuals attacked military installations, mocked the martyrs, and ran a character-assassination campaign against the army and its top leadership—under such circumstances, negotiations are simply not possible.
