PTI Negotiations Collapse as Pakistan Blocks Islamabad Roads
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party maintains its call for a long march after government talks failed and authorities blocked roads in Islamabad.
Negotiations between the Pakistani government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) collapsed on Saturday after the two sides failed to agree on a five-point framework. While both parties reached a tentative consensus on providing legal facilities and early court hearings for jailed founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, the talks broke down over the terms for party leaders to meet Khan and counter-terrorism strategies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The government proposed declaring an emergency in three merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to conduct military or police operations. This move was opposed by PTI leadership and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who argued that decisions should follow previous peace Jirga recommendations. Following the failure of these talks, the PTI has not withdrawn its call for a long march.
In response to the planned demonstrations, authorities in Islamabad blocked roads using more than 2,000 shipping containers, some of which were studded with nails. Police deployed in large numbers at city entry points to obstruct motorists and potential protesters seeking to support the imprisoned former prime minister.
