PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat has disclosed that the government and establishment had proposed house arrest for PTI Founder Imran Khan through Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, which the former prime minister unequivocally rejected.
Marwat claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had also suggested releasing the founder on December 22 last year, but this offer was also dismissed.
Marwat claimed that no more backdoor talks were taking place. “If Mohsin Naqvi had been part of the negotiation process, the meeting would have taken place by now,” he stated, adding that the government’s reluctance to engage meaningfully is causing disappointment within PTI ranks.
The PTI firebrand suggested that the PTI negotiation committee was not being facilitated for a meeting with Imran Khan as the authorities did not want Khan to make any statements during the process. He added that the developments of the last couple of days had created disappointment, and hoped the PTI team is able to meet the party founder tomorrow.
Marwat remarked that the government was unable to facilitate a meeting of the negotiation committee with Imran Khan, adding that the government did not interfere, and the permission was granted from elsewhere. "If the government was interested, the negotiation committee would have met the founder already," he claimed.
"If this continues, it will be difficult to return to the negotiation table,” he warned. He also mentioned that efforts to contact the National Assembly speaker had failed, as he ignored the calls.
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Marwat stressed the importance of daily meetings between the PTI negotiation team and Imran Khan, who is currently in custody. “The Islamabad High Court has designated a day for meeting the founder, yet not a single meeting has taken place,” he said.
Despite setbacks, Marwat acknowledged some progress in previous negotiation rounds, expressing hope for better outcomes. However, he maintained that the government could not be this helpless with allowing a meeting. "If some mercy was shown towards us in the last couple of years, our attitude would have changed," he commented, adding that the PTI founder's stance was previously held by both the PML-N and the PPP.
Marwat accused the government of portraying a “dark picture” through its statements and actions. He specifically pointed to comments made by Khawaja Asif and the PTI leadership’s response, describing them as unconstructive.
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Marwat dismissed US president-elect Donald Trump's adviser Richard Grenell’s recent remarks and downplayed expectations from Trump’s potential return. “We have no hope that Trump’s re-election will bring us any benefit. Our faith lies with the judiciary,” he asserted.
He concluded with a warning that continued delays could lead to further instability. “If we do not act now, the coming time will be far worse than the past,” Marwat said, reiterating PTI’s commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution while holding the government accountable for its actions.
'PTI established backdoor contacts'
Meanwhile, separately talking exclusively to Samaa TV, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan disclosed that the party had established backdoor contacts for negotiations before November 26. However, he added that formal talks could not begin. "No one, including Mohsin Naqvi, talked about the release of the PTI founder," Gohar claimed, adding that Imran Khan's Bani Gala house arrest had not been discussed with him.
Earlier in the day, PTI Founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan revealed that her brother had consistently received offers for a backdoor deal, with one such offer involving house arrest at Bani Gala.
Also Read: Imran Khan offered house arrest via Gandapur, claims Aleema Khan
Speaking to the media after visiting Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Aleema stated that Ali Amin Gandapur had brought the offer of house arrest for her brother, but emphasized that no one had directly approached Imran Khan regarding these proposals.
"Since day one, Imran Khan has been offered deals, but no one has come to him directly. Ali Amin Gandapur brought the offer of house arrest at Bani Gala," Aleema Khan said, adding that her brother was also advised to remain silent and refrain from speaking out.
Imran Khan, who has now been incarcerated for over a year and a half, has consistently rejected such offers, according to his sister. Aleema questioned the logic behind placing him under house arrest after such an extended period in jail. “If there was to be a backdoor deal, it would have happened already,” she remarked.
