Saad Rafique urges talks to end political standoff

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Saad Rafique has called on the government and protesters to set aside political differences and resolve their dispute through dialogue.

In a statement on Sunday, Rafique said the state should take the initiative to start negotiations. He urged both sides to move beyond ego, stubbornness and political divisions.

He said a solution could be found if all sides were genuinely willing to resolve the ongoing tensions. According to Rafique, neither side would emerge as a winner from a prolonged confrontation because the country as a whole would continue to suffer.

The PML-N leader also stressed the need to prevent further loss of life and damage to property. He said Pakistan was already facing serious challenges, including inflation, unemployment, injustice and terrorism.

Rafique warned that delaying efforts to address the situation could make the crisis more difficult to resolve. He called for timely action to prevent political tensions from causing further damage.

His remarks came after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) postponed its planned march towards Islamabad by one week. The march, originally scheduled for September 27, was later rescheduled for October 4 by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

Following the postponement, several routes linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Islamabad began reopening. Traffic on the GT Road at Khairabad in Attock was restored after remaining blocked for four days.

Authorities also started removing barriers from the Peshawar-Islamabad M-1 motorway. Containers, sandbags and iron sheets had earlier been placed at different points to restrict movement towards the federal capital.

Traffic at Punjab’s entry points in Taxila also returned to normal. However, the CPEC route in Mianwali remained closed.

Meanwhile, security arrangements around Islamabad’s Red Zone were strengthened despite the postponement of the PTI march. The number of containers deployed around sensitive areas also increased.

A case was registered after barriers at Attock Bridge were allegedly damaged and thrown into the river. Around 250 PTI workers were nominated in the case, while several others were detained. Authorities said legal action would be taken over damage to public property.

Afridi has also offered talks with the federal government to resolve the dispute. Speaking to senior journalists in Peshawar, he said the matter could be settled through mutual understanding.

The KP chief minister questioned the need to wait until the march before opening negotiations. He said if dialogue was necessary after the march, there was no reason why it could not begin beforehand.