Salman Akram dismisses backchannel claims

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has rejected reports that the party postponed its planned long march due to backdoor contacts with the government.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Raja said the government had not yet given any indication that it was ready for negotiations following the postponement of the September 27 march. However, he said PTI had given the government additional time to reconsider its decisions.

Raja clarified that the decision to postpone the march was taken by the party itself and was not the result of any secret negotiations or backchannel communication.

He said that if any talks were to take place, PTI leaders Allama Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Achakzai would be involved. He added that any communication between the two sides did not necessarily have to become public immediately.

The PTI leader said the latest wave of terrorism required all political forces to sit together and discuss the situation. He stressed that dialogue was necessary to address the challenges facing the country.

Raja said PTI would respect any decision reached through negotiations. He added that the party remained open to a political solution if meaningful talks produced an agreement.

He reiterated that one of PTI’s main demands was the transfer of the party’s founder, Imran Khan, to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment.

The PTI had earlier postponed its planned September 27 long march, giving the government additional time. The party has maintained that its demands remain unchanged and that any future course of action would depend on developments following the postponement.