After much ado, PTI negotiators get ‘green signal’ to meet Imran Khan at Adiala jail

In a major breakthrough, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) negotiation team has finally been granted permission to meet its incarcerated founder-chairman, Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail today following much ado.The well-placed sources added that the meeting, likely scheduled for today, is expected to take place at 2pm.The prospective meeting, if it goes through, will be a significant breakthrough in the seemingly stalled parleys between the incumbent government and PTI as it had emerged as a key hurdle for the convening of the third round of talks.Play videoThe two sides have held two negotiation sessions on December 27, 2024, and January 2, 2025, wherein it was decided that the former ruling party would present its “charter of demands” in the next session after meeting its founder who has been behind bars. at Adiala jail for more than a year.The parleys, however, hit a snag due to the PTI’s inability to meet Khan, which it argued was necessary for consulting the party’s stalwart regarding presenting its demands in writing.The “pause” in talks was attributed to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s foreign visit by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah. However, the lower house’s custodian on Saturday threw the ball in the government’s court saying the government and its allies were to decide on the issue and he was not responsible for the PTI delegation’s meeting with the deposed premier.The Khan-founded party — which has called for the release of its founder and their workers, the formation of a judicial commission on the events of the May 9 riots, and last year’s November 26 protests — has set January 31 as the cut-off. date to reach a “logical conclusion” in the government-PTI negotiations, a deadline which the government has urged an extension to.The PTI, which has secured Khan’s approval to present their demands in writing and hold a third round of talks, has warned that the talks would collapse if a judicial commission for investigating the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26 were not formed after the third session.”Fourth round of talks is highly unlikely if the government does not accept our demand of a judicial commission,” said Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza who is part of the PTI’s negotiation team.The remarks reflect those of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, who — quoting Khan — warned that the talks could not progress further if the party’s negotiators were not allowed to meet the incarcerated founder.Play videoThe party, while referring to the criticism hurled towards it, has also accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Maryam Nawaz and Khawaja Asif of sabotaging the dialogue process.In a video statement, senior PTI leader and former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, a day earlier, claimed that the duo was trying their best to make the negotiation process “unsuccessful”.Meanwhile, criticizing Khan’s post on the popular social media platform, X, Defense Minister Asif said that the negotiations should continue that “there is no issue in allowing PTI negotiators to meet the ex-PM” and that it should be allowed to take place.