Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s recent comments on meeting with Chief of Army Staff Army (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, questioning the credibility of what he called “backdoor negotiations”.
Senator Siddiqui shared what he knew about the discussions and their details, arguing that negotiations cannot succeed through “multiple doors”, Express News reported.
He suggested that PTI should formally acknowledge the talks and reassess its approach.
The PML-N lawmaker said the PTI should focus on a single negotiating channel instead of seeking multiple entry points into the political process.
His comments came after Barrister Gohar confirmed that he, along with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, had met Army Chief General Asim Munir. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan reportedly welcomed the meeting and termed it a positive step.
Advocate Gohar, speaking outside Adiala Jail, said the talks were aimed at ensuring political stability in Pakistan. He insisted that all meetings he attends are under Khan’s instructions.
He further stated that the PTI had always been open to dialogue, but the other side had kept its doors closed. Now that talks had begun and were moving forward, he considered it a beneficial step for the stability of the country. He also reiterated the PTI’s two key demands: formation of a judicial commission and an investigation into two specific incidents.
The PTI president confirmed that he and Ali Amin Gandapur had met the army chief, stating that the meeting took place in Peshawar, where they presented their entire case to him.
Lawyer Gohar Ali Khan described the direct negotiations with the establishment as a positive step and added that there was a constructive response from the other side.
He concluded that the start of talks was a welcome move and that all the PTI’s demands had been formally presented.
The meeting came a day before Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were found guilty and sentenced to 14 and seven years respectively, when an accountability court at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi announced its reserved verdict in the £190 million case, having previously delayed ruling three times.
