ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday called for a “time frame” within which negotiations with the government should progress and the demands of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, including the release of political prisoners, should be addressed.
Khan’s message was conveyed by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of PTI, after meeting the ex-premier at a high-security prison in Rawalpindi. The former prime minister, who has been imprisoned for over a year on charges he claims are politically motivated, has threatened to launch a civil disobedience movement by urging overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances if his demands are not met.
Khan’s demands include the release of all PTI political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate violent protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 26 this year, which the government claims involved PTI supporters.
His insistence on a time frame comes just a day after the government initiated formal negotiations with the PTI, asking it to bring all its demands in writing.
“I informed Khan Sahib about the negotiations that have started,” Gohar said while speaking to the media after the meeting. “Khan Sahib said it’s a good thing that negotiations are taking place, but there should be a time frame within which progress should be made.”
Asked about the exact time frame he had in mind, Gohar said Khan had not specified one, only emphasizing that progress on his party’s demands should happen “as soon as possible.”
He described his interaction with Khan as a “routine meeting” lasting half an hour.
Gohar said PTI plans to present its charter of demands in the next round of talks, scheduled for Jan. 2, and expressed hope for meaningful results.
Meanwhile, Khan reiterated his stance through a post on X, formerly Twitter, calling for his nominated negotiation team to meet him.
“To make the negotiation process meaningful, it is important that I meet with my nominated negotiation team so that I can have a proper understanding of what is going on,” he said.
The ex-premier maintained that his party would postpone the civil disobedience movement if its demands were implemented but expressed skepticism about the government’s willingness to investigate the May 9 and November 26 incidents.
“We will not allow that to happen,” he added.
Pakistan’s Imran Khan demands ‘time frame’ for progress in talks with government
https://arab.news/gfqg9
Pakistan’s Imran Khan demands ‘time frame’ for progress in talks with government
- The jailed ex-premier seeks a meeting with his negotiating team to get the details of the process
- Government asked Khan’s PTI to bring its demands in writing in the next round of talks on Jan. 2
Pakistan parliament calls for national response against ‘external sponsors’ of terror after Balochistan attacks
- Militants killed 50 people, including 17 law enforcers, in coordinated attacks across Balochistan last week
- Resolution follows government accusations that India backed the assaults, a charge New Delhi denies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution condemning a wave of militant attacks in the southwestern province of Balochistan and called for an immediate, coordinated national response against what it described as “external sponsors” of terrorism.
The resolution came days after separatist militants carried out coordinated gun and bomb attacks across multiple districts in Balochistan, targeting security installations and government facilities, in one of the deadliest flare-ups of violence in the province in recent months.
Pakistan’s State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudry said the attacks on Friday and Saturday killed 50 people, including 33 civilians and 17 law enforcement personnel. State media reported on Monday that security forces had killed 177 militants since the assaults began.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week that the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges. Pakistan has long accused India of backing militant groups in Balochistan and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, charges India has consistently denied.
The parliamentary resolution, tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said evidence from several militant incidents had highlighted “external patronage” of armed groups and raised “serious concerns, particularly regarding the role of India.”
“This house demands that an immediate, comprehensive, coordinated and multi-dimensional national response be ensured against these external sponsors and internal facilitators, including funding, smuggling, and propaganda networks, bringing together the political, diplomatic, military, intelligence, legal and narrative fronts,” the resolution stated, according to a copy seen by Arab News.
It said terrorism in Pakistan was being facilitated through logistical and operational support, financial assistance, training, medical treatment, and propaganda networks originating from certain neighboring countries.
The resolution expressed solidarity with victims and their families and praised Pakistan’s security forces for what it described as effective action against militants. It also voiced concern over militant networks increasingly involving women in attacks.
“This house expresses profound grief, sorrow, and concern over the fact that terrorist networks are attempting to exploit women and use them against the state and society through coercion, psychological pressure and blackmail,” it said.
Lawmakers called for national unity and urged political forces to rise above differences, vowing that the state would not compromise on the protection of its citizens or national security.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area, has long faced a separatist insurgency that has intensified in recent years. Militants frequently target security forces, government officials, infrastructure projects, foreigners, and non-local workers.
The province holds vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons and is central to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Separatist groups such as the BLA accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources while denying locals a fair share. Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership reject the claim and say they are investing in the province’s development.
Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons, and also to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
