Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf not holding 'backdoor talks' with anyone, says chairman Gohar Khan

Imran Khan. Pic/AFP

Amid reports that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had green-lit negotiations with the establishment and political forces, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, founded by former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, the party's chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has said that Khan is not holding "backdoor talks" with anyone.

Addressing a press conference following a meeting with the 71-year-old PTI founder at Adiala jail, Gohar on Monday suggested that the ex-premier only sought names for holding negotiations. No talks were being held right now, he added.

"Today, the PTI founder was barred from addressing the media by the jail administration, while several of our legal representatives were denied entry into the jail," Gohar was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper.

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had been "exonerated of all charges, while the PTI founder was being punished in fabricated cases". "The police are being used against our party. Maryam Nawaz, dressed in police attire, sends a message that the police are subordinate to them, Gohar quoted the PTI founder as saying during their meeting.

PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat, who was alongside Gohar during the conference, said Imran Khan criticised Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's appointment as deputy prime minister and termed him Nawaz's "frontman". Consultations are ongoing for the selection of the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and a final decision will be announced tomorrow," said Marwat, whose name is also doing the rounds for the position.

Addressing reports of former PTI leaders rejoining the party, the leader maintained that only Imran would have a final say. On Sunday, reports said the cricketer-turned-politician had given his party the green light for negotiations with the establishment and political adversaries.

However, the PTI founder made it clear that any talks must play by the rulebook, stressing the party's willingness to sit down with both the powers that be and political adversaries for the greater good. How the negotiations will take place and in what environment should be decided first, only then will the way for the negotiations be paved with those who are the stakeholders,¿ he added.

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