PTI sees possible opening for talks with government, says Gohar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday said he remained cautiously hopeful that political engagement with the government could resume within the next one to one-and-a-half months, while emphasising that any meaningful movement would depend on internal reconciliation and access to the party’s jailed founder.

Speaking to reporters at Dahgal Naka on Adiala Road, Gohar said Pakistan’s role in helping international peace efforts, especially between Iran and the United States, was commendable, but added that similar efforts were needed inside the country as well.

He said the mandate to negotiate rested with Mahmood Khan Achakzai and clarified that no formal negotiations or meetings were taking place at present. Gohar also called on the country’s leadership, including the prime minister, the army chief and the chief justice, to understand that lasting progress required inclusion of all stakeholders. "We are citizens of this country too," he added.

He said PTI had consistently backed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, particularly those aimed at reducing tensions between Iran and the US, and noted that the party had even cancelled a planned public gathering in view of national interests.

At the same time, Gohar criticised restrictions on meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan, saying it was unacceptable that such a major political leader was being denied access to family members and medical care. He said that although no diplomatic breakthrough had yet emerged from the Islamabad Talks, the process had also not collapsed, and expressed hope that future rounds could help produce a durable ceasefire.

Referring to Pakistan’s international role, he said the country’s rising diplomatic standing should be matched by unity at home. "if you broker ceasefires abroad, there must also be a ceasefire at home," he said.

Lawyer raises concerns over Imran Khan’s prison conditions

In a separate development, PTI founder Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar alleged that the former prime minister was being kept in extended solitary confinement and described the situation as torture. He also voiced concern over Khan’s health, particularly his eye condition, which he said had not improved.

Addressing a press conference at the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Safdar said he had met the PTI founder only once this year, for 65 minutes. During that meeting, he said, Imran Khan repeatedly complained that he was being held in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day.

Safdar further alleged that the prison conditions included no access to television, books or communication, along with restricted access to legal counsel.

Gohar’s remarks came as PTI continued to link domestic political dialogue with broader questions of political inclusion and access to its incarcerated founder, while also publicly supporting Pakistan’s external diplomatic initiatives.