Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly rejected media speculations regarding any “deal” between the government and incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.

In a statement shared on X, Tarar said, “There is neither any deal nor any leniency for Imran.”

He added that any impression of the government granting the ex-premier concessions was “entirely false and misleading”.

“Imran Khan is a criminal convicted by courts, and the reports about leniency for him are baseless,” Tarar asserted.

“There is no truth in these reports.”

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and was months ago convicted in another case regarding state gifts. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023.

Tarar’s clarification follows recent statements made by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, wherein he said efforts were made to reach a solution, but Imran was not ready for “any deal”.

“He (Imran) is not ready for any deal,” Sanaullah said in an interview with ARY News aired on Wednesday.

“Two very serious efforts were made [and] not only is he not ready for a deal but his demands are such that the current government cannot fulfil them,” he added.

Sanaullah described the PTI founder as having a “non-political attitude” and being “stubborn”. “The way they (PTI supporters) say that he is standing tall,” he quipped.

According to the PML-N leader, “one serious effort” was made between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the aftermath of the November 2024 protests.

“On the second [effort], I cannot go into details more than this that some individuals had arrived from abroad,” Sanaullah said, adding that they “had links” with Imran.

“They also met with Imran Khan sahib, and as per my information, Imran Khan sahib first agreed with them, but then he stepped back from it.”

In January 2026, Sanaullah had said PTI leaders were seeking dialogue with the government but Imran opposed the move.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary Barrister Danyal Chaudhry also denied any kind of “deal” with Imran, claiming that the latter wanted a deal and concession since day one.

“We are also ready for talks, but we will not accept any blackmail in this regard. The only reason for sending Imran Khan abroad for treatment can be that, God forbid, he may be suffering from a life-threatening disease that cannot be treated here,” he had said.

His statement came amid concerns raised by the PTI about the party founder’s health after a report submitted to the Supreme Court quoted him as saying he had lost partial vision in his right eye due to an ailment.