Naqvi alleges PTI links with Taliban, defends KP emergency

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has alleged that some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members have direct links with the Taliban, claiming that the government had evidence to support its allegations. He also defended the imposition of emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the decision had not been an easy one to make.

Addressing a Senate session, Naqvi said the government had informed PTI’s negotiating committee that some party members were allegedly connected with the Taliban. He maintained that the situation had moved far beyond the scope of political reconciliation and dialogue.

The interior minister also alleged that Murad Saeed, rather than the chief minister, was making key decisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Naqvi, members of the provincial cabinet had complained that Saeed’s decisions had put their lives at risk.

Naqvi cited the PTI protest of November 25, 2024, while explaining the government’s previous attempts to resolve political disputes through negotiations. He said the government had offered PTI a designated place to hold its protest, but the party had sought to postpone the demonstration after consulting its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.

According to the minister, arrangements were made for the party leadership to speak with Khan by telephone. However, he claimed that even after the conversation, half of the party refused to accept the decision to postpone the protest.

Naqvi said the government had also offered PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan an opportunity to record a video statement from Imran Khan to facilitate a political settlement. He alleged that Khan did not record the statement despite the government’s willingness to accommodate the party’s requests.

Explaining the recent negotiations between the government and PTI, Naqvi said he had personally contacted Barrister Gohar and asked him to identify the changes the party wanted in paragraph four of the proposed draft agreement.

He said the draft underwent three rounds of amendments. During the fourth round, PTI proposed six additional changes, all of which the government accepted, according to the interior minister.

Despite accepting all six proposals, Naqvi said the negotiations failed to move forward. He claimed that after the parties had reached an understanding on the draft, it was sent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

The minister alleged that Afridi subsequently forwarded the agreed draft to Murad Saeed. He questioned why Afridi had not participated directly in the negotiations if he was the person responsible for making the final decision on behalf of the provincial government.

Naqvi said the negotiations later stalled over a demand for a video statement from Imran Khan. He claimed that he had again asked Barrister Gohar to arrange the recording, but additional conditions were introduced.

According to the minister, Khan insisted that the video be recorded using Barrister Gohar’s mobile phone. The government agreed to this condition, Naqvi said, but Khan then demanded that the recording take place behind prison bars.

Naqvi maintained that the government accepted this request as well. However, he alleged that Khan subsequently said he would record the statement the following day rather than immediately.

Addressing opposition leader Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, the interior minister urged him not to hold the government responsible for the breakdown of negotiations. He said the opposition should examine the role of its own members in bringing the party to its current position.

Naqvi also defended the government’s decision to impose emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that both governor’s rule and emergency measures had been introduced under constitutional provisions.

He challenged Raja Nasir Abbas to identify the specific action he believed violated the Constitution, insisting that the government’s decision had a constitutional basis.

Meanwhile, Senator Raja Nasir Abbas criticised the government’s handling of the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He questioned the political narrative surrounding the imposition of governor’s rule and asked whether the public supported the decision.

The exchange in the Senate highlighted the growing political confrontation between the government and PTI over the emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the breakdown of negotiations and competing claims about responsibility for the political impasse.

Naqvi’s allegations regarding links between certain PTI members and the Taliban were presented during his parliamentary address. The claims were not independently verified in the material provided.