Naqvi says KP government backed out of counterterrorism commitments

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government backed out of key counterterrorism commitments in the final phase of talks with the opposition at Parliament House. The negotiations ended in deadlock early Sunday. The PTI's planned Oct. 4 march toward Islamabad, aimed at securing Imran Khan's release, remains on course.

Which counterterrorism commitments did the KP government withdraw?

Naqvi said the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours covering security measures. He said those commitments were withdrawn on Saturday night, during the final stage of negotiations. The terms included reconsidering the Police Act 2026.

"Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP government backed out of these commitments," Naqvi said in a statement posted on X.

What else did the proposed agreement include?

The proposal also called for protecting security matters from political interference, Naqvi said. The KP government had agreed to stop terrorists from operating freely or establishing safe havens in the province. It had also agreed to unequivocally condemn the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and all other terrorist groups.

The commitments included support for the national policy on Afghan refugees, covering their repatriation and the dismantling of Afghan refugee camps in KP. Naqvi said the provincial government had agreed to have no contact with the interim Afghan government. It would also have provided substantial funding for counterterrorism operations and police, taken full provincial ownership of counterterrorism measures and strengthened cooperation with the armed forces.

The commitments further covered counterterrorism decisions in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the merged districts, along with implementation of the National Action Plan, Naqvi said. "Security must not be politicized," he said, adding that the warning was especially important while the province remained at war against terrorism.

Why did the government-opposition talks end in deadlock?

The statement came hours after the talks ended in deadlock following nearly 11 hours of negotiations at Parliament House. The talks, overseen by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, failed to resolve differences over meetings with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and counterterrorism policy in KP.

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas emerged shortly before 3 a.m. and told reporters that no agreement had been reached. "Deadlock," Abbas said when asked about the outcome, according to footage broadcast by Geo News. He described the remaining differences as relatively minor but said the sides had failed to settle the issue of meetings with Khan, identifying access to Khan's personal doctors and the handling of terrorism-related issues in KP as the two key areas of disagreement.

PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Khan separately said the party's march would proceed. "The long march is intact," Gohar told reporters, while rejecting the imposition of emergency rule or governor's rule in response to the protest. He said the sides had also failed to agree on a date for another round of talks.

What does the PTI want from the Oct. 4 march?

Gohar said the opposition had put forward straightforward demands, including meetings between Khan and his family members, among them his wife, Bushra Bibi. He added that disagreements over counterterrorism policy had also contributed to the breakdown. The PTI has said the march is aimed at securing Khan's release and pressing other demands.

The failure of the talks keeps pressure on the federal government and the PTI-led KP administration to find a political settlement. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had signaled earlier Saturday that the march would go ahead. He announced a detailed route for the convoy in a post on X shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday.

What is the route of the PTI convoy from KP to Islamabad?

Under the itinerary, PTI supporters from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat are due to assemble at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1 p.m. on Oct. 4. The convoy is expected to travel toward Karak for an overnight stop. It will resume its journey at 12:30 p.m. the following day and proceed toward Kohat.

On Oct. 6, participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai are scheduled to join the convoy at noon. It will then move toward Peshawar and stop near Mattani. The march is due to leave Budh Bair in Peshawar the following afternoon, according to Afridi's itinerary, with supporters from other parts of Peshawar joining at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza before the convoy heads toward Charsadda Interchange for the night.

The convoy is scheduled to leave Charsadda Interchange at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, with participants from Charsadda and Mohmand joining along the way. Afridi did not spell out the final route into Islamabad. He said supporters from across KP would converge at Khairabad on Oct. 8 and spend the night there, with the next stage to be announced at that point.

Who took part in the negotiations?

The opposition delegation at Saturday's negotiations included Abbas, Gohar, Opposition Chief Whip Amir Dogar and MNA Asad Qaiser. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh also took part in the talks.