ISLAMABAD:
Following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for dialogue, detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders from Lahore have expressed their willingness to engage in political negotiations.
In an open letter addressed to the government, the senior incarcerated leaders proposed a political dialogue to help steer the country out of its ongoing constitutional and political crisis. However, they made it clear that no talks would be possible without prior permission to meet the PTI founder.
The letter, signed by senior PTI figures Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, emphasised that the country is facing one of its worst political and constitutional crises, and that comprehensive negotiations are the only viable path forward.
The leaders called for dialogue not only at the political level but also involving state institutions to ensure that all stakeholders can move ahead with mutual trust. They stressed that political discussions must begin immediately and should include PTI leaders currently imprisoned in Lahore jails.
A key point raised in the letter is that access to Imran Khan is essential before any negotiation committee can be formed or any decisions finalised. Without the PTI chairman’s guidance, they said, no meaningful or representative dialogue can take place.
The letter further insists that one-time access to Khan would not suffice. Instead, regular consultations must be ensured so that leadership input remains continuous and the negotiation process remains effective and result-oriented.
Read More: PM holds out an olive branch to PTI
The development comes as PM Shehbaz last week extended a formal invitation to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for direct talks.
According to sources, the exchange reportedly took place just before the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on reserved seats, during a National Assembly session when he approached PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, initiating a brief but meaningful conversation, including a handshake.
The PM was quoted as saying: “Let’s sit and talk — negotiations are the solution to everything. I’ve said this before and I’m saying it again: we must talk.” Barrister Gohar responded succinctly with an optimistic, “InshaAllah” (God willing).
