PTI-Naqvi meeting draws scrutiny

ISLAMABAD: A meeting between senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has stirred debate in political circles after it emerged that Imran Khan’s family had not been informed in advance, raising questions about internal coordination within the party as well as speculation about possible backchannel contact.

The matter came into public view after a post on X claimed that Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan had attended a meeting involving PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the interior minister. Aleema Khan rejected that claim on X and said no member of Imran Khan’s family had been present and that the family had not been told beforehand. Her response, however, also brought wider attention to the meeting itself.

Reports of a meeting between Barrister Gohar and Mohsin Naqvi at Gohar’s residence had been circulating for several days, but neither PTI nor Gohar had publicly confirmed it during that period. After Aleema Khan’s statement, Gandapur’s name also surfaced in connection with the meeting and was later acknowledged by PTI’s senior leadership in response to queries.

When contacted, Barrister Gohar confirmed that the meeting had taken place and reiterated that no member of Imran Khan’s family was present. He did not answer further questions about the agenda or the details of the discussion.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas, responding to queries, said he had personally spoken to Barrister Gohar, who confirmed both the meeting and Gandapur’s presence. Waqas said the meeting was held on May 14 and concerned law and order issues only, including the security situation in Bannu and broader public order matters. He said Imran Khan’s family had not been informed because the issue did not relate to them, adding that Gohar, as part of the party’s senior leadership, was authorised to hold such discussions. Those present maintained that the discussion remained confined to security and public order.

Bannu attack cited as backdrop

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister also confirmed on X, while quote-tweeting Aleema Khan, that his meeting with Mohsin Naqvi was linked to recent militant attacks in Bannu and the wider law and order situation in the province. He said there had been no political discussion and described reports suggesting otherwise as incorrect.

The security context referenced by PTI leaders followed a major attack in Bannu on the night of May 9, five days before the meeting. An explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into a police outpost in the district, followed by an assault involving heavy weapons and drones. The attack was claimed by Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, described as a newly emerged armed group.

In the aftermath, a joint operation involving the Pakistan Army, police and the Counter Terrorism Department was launched in the area, in which 16 militants, including two commanders, were killed. PTI representatives have cited that sequence of events in explaining why the May 14 meeting focused on security coordination and law and order.

Renewed focus on internal tensions

Even with the clarification from PTI leaders about the subject of the meeting, the development has drawn attention because of its timing and because it only became public after a social media exchange. The episode has also renewed focus on strains between Imran Khan’s family and the party’s senior leadership over consultation and communication.

The development comes amid continuing concern over Imran Khan’s health during his imprisonment at Adiala Jail. In recent months, he was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on several occasions for treatment related to an eye condition. His legal team filed petitions in the Islamabad High Court seeking specialist treatment and access for his personal doctors.

A follow-up examination by a joint medical board in March reported improvement in his condition, but the family disputed the government’s assessment and said no medical decisions should be made without their consent. In February, Aleema Khan had publicly criticised the party leadership over the handling of the medical issue, objecting to decisions she said were taken without the family’s knowledge. At the time, Gohar acknowledged a communication gap within the leadership while maintaining that efforts for Imran Khan’s release remained coordinated.

The latest controversy over the meeting with the interior minister has again highlighted those unresolved issues within PTI’s internal communication structure.