The federal government and leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks on Friday (October 2, 2026) to defuse political tensions ahead of the Opposition party’s planned long march to Islamabad.
The developments come a week after the party announced that its long march to Islamabad would start on October 4, postponing it by a week.
A six-member government delegation, led by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, is participating in the talks. The delegation also includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is represented by Syed Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman and Aijaz Jakhrani. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation includes party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan; Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas; General Secretary Salman Akram Raja; former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and lawmaker Aamir Dogar. He emphasised that the courts, not the government, would make decisions regarding the cases against Khan.
Earlier reporting noted: Shehbaz govt, Imran Khan’s PTI hold talks as Pakistan braces for protests Pakistan’s federal government and jailed former prime minister Imran Khan ’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) agreed to hold a second round of talks on Saturday, as the opposition party prepares for a long march towards Islamabad from October 4.
He said that “the government has mandated a team to initiate talks with PTI”, and it was holding talks with the party, “primarily aimed at defusing the current political situation surrounding PTI’s planned march/protest toward Islamabad on October 4”. Government sources said the PTI’s planned long march would be the main issue during the negotiations, while the party’s other demands would also be discussed. Speaking to the media before the meeting, Sanaullah said that protests do not resolve issues and that the solution to all problems lies in negotiation. Earlier reporting noted: According to a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the participants held detailed discussions “on the prevailing political situation and exchanged views on various matters of national importance”. The participants emphasised the need to resolve national issues through dialogue and negotiations,” it said, according to news agency PTI.
Earlier reporting noted: “The government, PPP and opposition representatives apprised each other of their respective positions and held a detailed exchange of views constructively and cordially.
