LAHORE: The incarcerated PTI leaders are not happy with the National Dialogue Committee’s claim that they have supported or extended a mandate to begin dialogue with the establishment and the government, claiming that the decision rests with party founder Imran Khan alone.

“Does the NDC have any mandate to negotiate on behalf of the PTI, when party founder Imran Khan had entrusted this role to Opposition Leader in National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Opposition Leader in Senate Allama Raja Abbas Nasir,” ask party leaders close to the developments.

Sources close to the developments in Kot Lakhpat jail claim the NDC leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Mahmood Maulvi and Imran Ismail had met party vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and former minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed.

“Dr Yasmin Rashid and Omar Sarfraz Cheema were not in the meeting as the former was in women’s barrack, while the latter was admitted to the hospital,” the sources said and added that Senator Ejaz Chaudhry too had gone to a hospital for his medical check-up and had just briefly met in the jail lobby, upon his return.

Say Imran alone can decide on talks

Sources also claim that the incarcerated leaders might formally respond to the NDC’s claims through their counsel on Monday (tomorrow).

Without naming those the NDC delegation met, Fawad Chaudhry had stated through a tweet from his X handle on Friday that the NDC members had met the incarcerated party leaders and discussed the political and economic crisis in the country.

“The incarcerated leaders fully supported the NDC suggestion and agreed that dialogue was the only way forward,” Mr Chaudhry stated.

On Saturday, Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that clear support by the PTI incarcerated leaders for a dialogue needed to be acted upon and sought that the establishment and the government should start the dialogue process by releasing the incarcerated leaders in the Kot Lakhpat jail and allowing meetings with jailed Imran Khan.

He also suggested that the PTI should also acknowledge its mistakes. They said the government should stop action against the PTI workers to “lower political temperature” in the country. He also called for the constitution of a new Election Commission.

Sources close to the incarcerated leaders told Dawn that there had been a sharp reaction to the NDC claims as the mandate to negotiate with the establishment or the government was never vested with the NDC.

“PTI founder Imran Khan has a clear mindset about the way negotiations should be held, which leaves no room for doubt about any `deal’”, the source said.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026