The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reiterated its offer of talks to the government while rejecting reports it postponed its long march to Islamabad from Sept. 27 to Oct. 4 due to “backchannel contacts.”
In a statement, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party had postponed the long march to give the government more time to reconsider its decisions. However, he added, the government has yet to give any signal it is willing to engage in meaningful negotiations.
The PTI’s planned long march aims to secure the medical treatment and release of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, as well as the “restoration” of constitutional supremacy. Ahead of the march, the government has placed containers on the sides of major roads in Islamabad, warning these can be used to block traffic once the party starts its march.
Referring to the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Raja said the crisis required all sides to sit together and engage in dialogue. He said that if any contact takes place between the government and the PTI, it is not necessary for it to become public immediately.
Reportedly, members of the PTI have met representatives of the federal government several times since Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the long march in August. The talks, however, have yet to yield any results, with multiple journalists reporting the government is demanding the cancellation of the march prior to any other talks, while the PTI maintains it cannot do so without concrete concessions.