——— Asserts Imran has always talked about negotiations
——— Says he or his party has no conflict with Pakistan Army
——— States he never made any statement on behalf of Imran Khan
——— Denies seeing ‘Khalai Makhlooq’ or feeling any pressure from them
PESHAWAR: Distancing himself from the ‘enemies of the state’, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stressed on Tuesday that neither he nor Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan ever ruled out talks with the establishment.
“Imran Khan has always talked about negotiations,” the CM said while addressing a seminar, adding that no talks whatsoever were currently underway but hinted it may take time before the next round of parleys.
These remarks contrast with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s statement last month that the jailed party founder had not authorised any leader to engage in talks with the establishment.
Gohar said this after PTI leader Azam Swati claimed receiving Khan’s go-ahead to contact the estab-lishment to resolve political issues for bringing political stability to the country, indicating the party is not on the same page.
In another damage-control bid in April, party mouthpiece Sheikh Waqas Akram clarified that ex-PM Khan had never closed the door on negotiations, adding that talks could only be held in the national interest and must cover core issues, including the supremacy of law and the Constitution.
On the negotiations with the government, the firebrand politician said committees were formed at the government level in the past, but they couldn’t succeed.
Vehemently denying issuing any statement on behalf of Imran Khan, Gandapur also said neither he nor his party had any conflict with the army. “I’ve never seen any ‘Khalai Makhlooq’ nor have I felt any pressure from them,” he said, referring to a term often used to hint at the military establishment. “My red line is Pakistan,” he added.
He made it clear he was not in favour of talks with those who had picked up arms against the state. “I distance myself from anyone who has declared war on the state,” he said. The provincial chief executive further said legal efforts were underway for the release of PTI founder and made it clear that “no one can replace him” in the party.
“We are committed to securing his release within the framework of the Constitution and the law,” Gandapur said.
He also dismissed the notion that US President Donald Trump had ever betrayed the PTI, and also re-jected claims that the military establishment was behind the party’s 2014 sit-ins. Gandapur criticised the federal government’s attitude towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it was ignoring the province and wanted it to go bankrupt. –Agencies
