Rawalpindi: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar confirmed on Thursday that he, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, had met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.
Speaking to journalists at the courtroom in Adiala Jail, Gohar finally confirmed the meeting, which he had initially denied.
He explained that all of the party’s issues and demands were directly presented to General Munir during the rare talks. Gohar described the direct negotiations with the establishment as a positive step toward resolving ongoing issues, stating: “Ali Amin Gandapur and I met with COAS Munir, during which we outlined all of PTI’s concerns and priorities.”
PTI founder Imran Khan also confirmed the meeting and emphasized that the party had long been trying to engage the other side in dialogue.
Sources reported that Gohar was transported to Peshawar via helicopter for the meeting, which took place during the COAS’s visit to the city. During his visit, General Munir met with top provincial political leaders and emphasized: “If there is a state, there is politics. God forbid, without a state, there is nothing.”
Gohar further remarked: “What Imran Khan has said about my meeting with the COAS is correct.”
This confirmation follows reports that backchannel talks between the government and PTI, which had paused weeks ago, have now resumed and entered a significant stage.
According to an informed source, Barrister Gohar and KP CM Gandapur had an exclusive meeting with three very important persons in a location that was neither Islamabad nor Rawalpindi. The next meeting will reportedly involve a federal minister and two important individuals meeting with the PTI side. However, the outcome of these meetings will depend on PTI’s future policies and its approach to politics.
The political temperature has risen following the third round of talks between the former ruling party and the government, where PTI presented its written demands.
In its demands, PTI has called for the establishment of two commissions led by the Chief Justice or three senior Supreme Court judges to investigate the May 9, 2023, and November 24, 2024 protests.
The party also urged the federal and provincial governments to support the court orders granting bail or suspending convictions and sentences for all political prisoners.
