Attaullah Tarar denies any government ‘agreement’ with Imran Khan

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly rejected media reports suggesting any “deal” between the government and jailed Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

In a statement shared on X, Tarar said: “There is no agreement or leniency for Imran.” He added that any suggestion that the government would grant concessions to Imran Khan was “completely false and misleading”.

Tarar concluded by saying, “Imran Khan is a convicted criminal and the news about his release is baseless. There is no truth in this news.”

Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 following convictions that he and the PTI consider politically motivated. Since his ouster in 2022 via a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some sentences have been suspended or overturned and appeals are pending. He denies any wrongdoing.

Tarar’s statement comes after recent remarks by the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, who said attempts had been made to find a solution, but Khan was not willing to accept “any deal”.

“He is not ready for any deal,” Sanaullah told a private news channel on Wednesday. “Two serious efforts were made, but not only did he refuse, but his demands were such that the current government could not meet them.”

Sanaullah explained that the first attempt involved Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur after the November 2024 protests. A second attempt involved people from abroad meeting Imran Khan, but he ultimately walked away from any agreement, according to Sanaullah.

Read: TTAP ends Parliament protest, raises concern for Imran Khan’s health

The comments come after the Supreme Court was told that only 15% of Imran’s vision remains in his right eye. The information was conveyed to the high court by PTI lawyer Salman Safdar, who quoted the former prime minister as saying that he had been left with only 15% vision in his right eye due to medical complications.

The event sparked an outcry from opposition ranks, who criticized the government for allowing Khan’s health to deteriorate to this level.

Regarding the second effort to reach an understanding, Sanaullah said he could not reveal all the details, but confirmed that some people had arrived from abroad and had connections with Imran Khan. “They also met Imran Khan sahib and according to my information, he initially agreed with them but later withdrew from the agreement,” Sanaullah added.

In January 2026, Sanaullah had noted that while PTI leaders were seeking dialogue with the government, Imran Khan was opposed to such a compromise.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary Danyal Chaudhry also dismissed reports of a “deal” with Khan, saying the former prime minister had sought concessions from the beginning. “We are willing to hold talks but we will not accept any kind of blackmail. The only justification for sending Imran Khan abroad for treatment would be if, God forbid, he suffers from a life-threatening illness that cannot be treated in the country,” Chaudhry said.