Marwat claims 'deal' offered to move jailed Imran Khan to Nathia Gali

• Govt, establishment offered deal, claims Marwat.
• PTI lawmaker says embattled party rejected offer.
• "Imran Khan was approached directly on several occasions."

ISLAMABAD: Amid ongoing talks between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to defuse political tensions, party lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat has claimed that the former ruling party was offered to move its incarcerated founder Imran Khan to Governor House in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Nathia Gali.

"[Interior Minister] Mohsin Naqvi and representatives of the government and the establishment tabled the offer to move Imran to Nathia Gali... but PTI rejected the deal," the lawmaker said while speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath'.

A similar claim was made by PTI founder's lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, who a day earlier said, Imran was offered a deal under which he would be shifted to Bani Gala, his residence in Islamabad, to serve the remaining jail time.

"[Imran] Khan said he was offered to be moved to Bani Gala. However, he stressed that he would not move anywhere until those detained without trial are released," Chaudhry told reporters outside Adiala jail.

The News had reported last month that the government may consider offering a deal of house arrest to the PTI founder, provided he does not challenge the present system and stops politics of agitation.

The reports of a "deal" emerged at a time when the federal government and the former ruling party have sat down for talks with the latter tabling two initial demands: the release of all "political prisoners" and the formation of a commission to probe the May 9, 2023, events and November 26, 2024, events.

Speaking on today's show, Marwat said that the former prime minister was "approached directly" on several occasions. "An assurance was given that Imran would be released by December 20," he claimed.

Responding to a question regarding the negotiations, the lawmaker said the PTI negotiators confirmed that no individual was willing to take responsibility for submitting written demands. "The team want to consult the PTI founder before tabling the charter of demands."

The statement came a day after the embattled former ruling party and the government held their second round of dialogue, which the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said was held in a cordial environment.

During the meeting, the PTI negotiation team sought frequent meetings with party founder Imran Khan to finalise the "charter of demands". While the PTI has been quite vocal about its key demands, it could not share these demands with the government committee in writing.

The Imran Khan-founded party has already given an ultimatum that talks should conclude by the end of the ongoing month.

The talks were being held in the wake of the former ruling party's announcement of a civil disobedience movement if their demands go unmet. Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan had last month called on his supporters to launch the anti-government movement by withholding remittances in the first phase.