• PTI wants Imran shifted to hospital, govt seeks cancellation of Oct 4 protest
• Second round of talks to be held in NA speaker’s chamber today
• Imran has given opposition leaders ‘full authority’ to negotiate, says Gohar
• PPP seeks cancellation of protest march, backs shifting PTI founder to hospital
• Senate opposition leader says march remains on until agreement is reached

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in almost three years, representatives of the federal government and the opposition PTI formally came together on Friday for talks aimed at easing the political tension in the country, and apprised each other of their positions.

A second meeting is expected to take place today (Saturday), where the demands presented by the opposition side are expected to be taken up, which will be taken up again today (Saturday) in a second round of talks.

Though neither side shared its specific demands with the media, both were hopeful of a positive outcome from the meeting, which was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

Sources on both sides told Dawn that the PTI wants its incarcerated founder Imran Khan to be shifted from jail to a hospital for medical treatment, while the government has insisted that the opposition call off its protest march on Islamabad, scheduled for Oct 4.

According to a statement issued by the NA Secretariat, the government and opposition representatives apprised each other of their positions and “held a detailed exchange of views in a constructive and cordial manner”, emphasising the need to resolve national issues through dialogue.

The second round will be held at 2pm on Saturday in the speaker’s chambers. The NA statement credited Mr Sadiq with a key role in facilitating the dialogue.

Welcoming the delegations, the speaker said he was “only playing the role of a mediator” and that his office was “always open” to resolving issues through negotiations. He said he had consistently invited the opposition to talks and, noting that positions and offices were temporary, added: “Parliament is the only forum where solutions to issues can be found.”

The government side included Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with the PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman and MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani.

The opposition delegation, led by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas according to the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), comprised PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Amir Dogar, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.

Free hand

Before the talks, PTI leaders had said they would need to meet Mr Khan in jail to seek his instructions. Barrister Gohar, however, later said the PTI founder had given complete authority to the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate — Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas — to take any decision in light of the negotiations’ outcome. After the meeting, PTI leaders went straight to Mr Achakzai’s residence to brief him on the details.

PPP leader Saleem Mandviwalla said in a statement that his party agreed Mr Khan should be shifted to a hospital, adding that the government was not in the mood to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We have asked the government that, if Imran Khan wants so, allow him to get his medical treatment in a hospital,” he said.

‘Unconditional’ cancellation

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ms Rehman said the PPP believed in resolving issues through negotiations, but reiterated party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s stance that the PTI must call off the march “unconditionally”.

“They will have to call it off rather than postponing or deferring,” she said. “Both parties have time; we will meet tomorrow. We will try to conclude this by tomorrow.”

Asked about the opposition’s reported demand for a meeting with Mr Khan, she said she could not answer, but noted that the opposition had sought time and “we should respect it”. A political and democratic attitude, she added, required resolving issues through dialogue at the negotiating table.

Later, Mr Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the government’s decision to work with the PPP and jointly engage the opposition “to find political solutions to political problems”. “The challenge of terrorism has become an existential threat to Pakistan, particularly given the active support these groups receive from neighbouring countries,” he wrote on X.

He hoped the talks would end with the long march being called off unconditionally, allowing the country to unite against terrorism and threats from neighbouring countries, and said the PPP remained committed to combating terrorism “through any and all constitutional means”.

‘Engage with integrity’

During a break in the talks, Senator Abbas told the media that if the government cared about the political crisis, it should “sit with the opposition with integrity and step forward to find a solution”. The march call, he said, would remain “intact” until a solution was found.

“Negotiating is the way of political leaders; negotiations could resolve gigantic issues and war,” he said, adding that much depended on the government’s intention.

Questioning whether the government genuinely wanted a resolution, he said it was the government’s responsibility to maintain peace, resolve crises and ensure economic stability, and that the outcome hinged on how “autonomous” it was and whether it had the “intent” to negotiate.

Emergency option

The talks come as the PTI remains resolute on the march. Federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no option but to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the province’s security situation and the protest call, while the PTI has warned of dire consequences if such a step is taken.

The decision to hold talks was taken on Thursday at a presidency meeting attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mr Naqvi, Attorney General Mansoor Awan and other PPP and PML-N leaders. A source privy to the huddle told Dawn the emergency option was discussed, but participants agreed to first give the opposition a chance to settle matters peacefully through dialogue, and to seriously consider an emergency only if the PTI did not back down. The coalition also believes the march will remain confined to KP and not enter Punjab or Islamabad.

On Thursday, Mr Sanaullah said the government and PTI were engaged in “off-the-record talks” over the protest, and that the decision on the march rested with the PTI’s senior leadership, “with whom off-the-record consultation is ongoing”. “So let us see, even if they do not postpone it, we have arrangements in place to stop them,” he warned.

Separately, the prime minister has invited Mr Achakzai for dialogue, and the two are expected to meet in the coming days.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026