The internal details behind the collapse of negotiations between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the federal government have emerged, with sources claiming that senior opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai played a key role in the failure of the dialogue process.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Achakzai remained dominant throughout the opposition’s negotiating committee and repeatedly linked progress in the talks to a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan and his release.
Sources said that at one stage the government was willing to facilitate a meeting between PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and the party founder. However, disagreements over postponing the proposed long march and the absence of consensus on counterterrorism cooperation created a deadlock between the two sides.
The sources further claimed that opposition members faced external pressure during the talks, leading to repeated impasses. In contrast, the government’s negotiating committee was described as fully empowered and willing to demonstrate flexibility throughout the process.
According to the sources, disagreements within the opposition camp also contributed significantly to the failure of the negotiations. While some opposition representatives were reportedly prepared to move forward in line with federal and state policies, differences emerged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government regarding cooperation on security matters.
The sources alleged that the KP government was reluctant to work alongside the federal government in districts affected by terrorism and resisted certain proposals aimed at strengthening coordination.
Negotiators were reportedly surprised by the KP government’s stance, particularly as it continued to refer to plans for a long march even before consensus had been reached on key issues. Sources claimed that the government and state institutions had shown flexibility on several matters but were unable to overcome persistent disagreements.
According to the claims made by the sources, the collapse of the talks was largely the result of differences within the opposition and the KP government’s unwillingness to compromise, which ultimately prevented a breakthrough in negotiations.
