Imran Khan accepts PM Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for dialogue

The incarcerated former prime minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has reportedly agreed to initiate dialogue with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led ruling coalition, following an offer of talks extended by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

According to The News on Thursday (today), Imran Khan has authorised PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan to represent the party in the talks. Gohar met Khan at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, on Monday.

However, Imran Khan emphasised that the discussions should take place away from media attention to allow for more productive and meaningful outcomes.

Citing PTI insiders, The News reported that the party will now formally approach the government to proceed with the dialogue, believing that previous negotiations failed under media scrutiny. PTI is therefore now pushing for a quieter, more focused strategy.

The News, citing sources within PTI, further revealed that Imran Khan wants the negotiations to have the backing of the military establishment. One source added that Khan is even open to meeting a representative of the establishment to help move the process forward.

Barrister Gohar confirmed to The News that he had conveyed PM Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to Imran Khan. However, he declined to share the details of their discussion or the direction Khan had taken. “I can’t divulge what was discussed between us,” the PTI chairman said.

This positive development followed PM Shehbaz Sharif’s recent speech in the National Assembly, where he invited PTI to join a national dialogue. While Barrister Gohar welcomed the proposal at the time, party circles made it clear that no progress could be made without Khan’s explicit consent.