Imran Khan tasks Gandapur, Saif to 'negotiate with establishment'

• KP CM Gandapur, Barrister Saif to keep talks confidential.
• Aleema Khan says Khan barred from meeting family.
• Gandapur to present directives before political committee.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has assigned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his adviser Barrister Saif the responsibility of negotiating with the establishment, the sources said.

The sources added that Gandapur and Saif convinced the PTI founder to engage in talks, after which he granted them the task on Wednesday.

It has been decided that negotiations will remain confidential until any progress is made. A second meeting between Khan and Gandapur is expected in the coming days to advance the discussions.

Gandapur met Khan at Adiala Jail on Wednesday after nearly one and a half months. The two spoke for two and a half hours, discussing institutional confrontations and criticism of party leadership on social media.

The KP CM also briefed Khan on provincial matters. After the meeting, both Gandapur and Saif left the jail without speaking to the media.

The development comes days after PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar  dismissed speculations about a deal with the establishment, clarifying that the party had simply reestablished contacts.

The PTI chief had categorically said that final negotiations with the establishment had not even begun, and that the talk of a deal was baseless having no connection with ground reality.

This isn't the first time the PTI-establishment talks have become talk of the town as they were also speculated in January following a meeting between Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Gohar and Gandapur.

PTI rejects reports of negotiations

Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram dismissed reports about the meeting, saying that false claims were being circulated.

"No one went to convince the PTI founder to negotiate," he told Geo News, refuting that Khan had tasked anyone with talks.

He condemned efforts to twist facts for the government's benefit and clarified that Khan's discussion with Gandapur revolved around provincial government and party-related matters.

"Gandapur will present Khan’s directives before the party's political committee," Akram added.

Aleema irked

Meanwhile, Aleema Khan, PTI founder's sister, has expressed concerns over restricted access to her brother.

Reacting to the PTI leaders' meeting with the ex-PM, Aleema lamented the selective enforcement of meeting restrictions, saying that jail authorities had categorically told them family meetings were not allowed during gazetted holidays.

"Yesterday, April 1, was a gazetted holiday, and we were not permitted to meet our brother. The last time we saw him was on March 20. On March 27, we were also denied access," she said in a post on X.

Aleema further asked why others were granted access while family members were restricted.

"Are the gazetted holiday restrictions only for family? We have not been allowed to meet Imran, and he is also barred from speaking to his sons."