Pakistan govt, PTI agree to second round of talks over Islamabad march

Pakistan's government and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held their first formal round of talks Friday in Islamabad over the party's planned march, and agreed to meet again. The government asked PTI to postpone or cancel the Oct. 4 protest, as authorities prepare for protests that could disrupt the capital.

What did the government and PTI agree in the first round of talks?

Both sides presented their positions during several hours of talks chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the National Assembly. They agreed to continue negotiations, with a second round scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m., according to the National Assembly spokesperson and opposition representatives.

The talks were held in the National Assembly speaker's chamber. Authorities have spent weeks preparing for the PTI protest, planned for Sunday after being postponed from Sept. 27.

What did the government ask PTI to do?

Government representatives formally asked the opposition to postpone or cancel the planned long march, sources said. The government team maintained that Islamabad could not be allowed to be “stormed” under any circumstances. It also objected to threats of a long march and references to an attack on Adiala Jail.

The government also stressed that flexibility could not be expected from one side alone. Both the government and opposition would have to show flexibility for the dialogue to move forward, according to sources.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq urged all sides to proceed through mutual understanding and dialogue. Sources said heated exchanges took place between PTI and government representatives on several occasions, while Pakistan Peoples Party members largely remained silent.

What did PTI leaders say after the talks?

PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters that both sides had presented their positions and that the talks had taken place in a positive environment. “We have put forward our demands,” Gohar said. He said the second round would be held at 2 p.m. Saturday and expressed hope that the situation would improve further.

PTI official Haleem Adil Sheikh separately said the party was prepared to proceed with the protests. He indicated that negotiations could advance if the government showed flexibility on its demands, including the release of Imran Khan's sisters, who were arrested last month, according to AFP. “We are talking to the government today in a positive spirit,” Sheikh said.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also confirmed that the talks would continue and that another meeting would be held Saturday. He said the government's gesture toward negotiations was appropriate, adding that dialogue could not move forward without a positive gesture from the parties.

Who took part in the government-PTI talks?

The government delegation included Federal Ministers Amir Muqam, Rana Sanaullah, Mohsin Naqvi, Talal Chaudhry and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. PPP representatives Senator Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar and Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani also attended.

The opposition was represented by PTI leaders Gohar, Raja Nasir Abbas, Malik Aamir Dogar, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Salman Akram Raja.

The National Assembly spokesperson said the government, PPP and opposition held detailed discussions on national and political issues and stressed the need to resolve matters through negotiations. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq played a key role in bringing the three sides to the negotiating table, the spokesperson added.

How is the Islamabad march affecting residents and businesses?

Shipping containers have been placed along major highways and at key entry points to Islamabad to block demonstrators from reaching the capital. AFP journalists saw containers stacked two high around the heavily fortified government district known as the Red Zone. Commuters are navigating around the blockades, while some residents have called for the political sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.

“The government should sit down together and sort out their demands,” Mubashir Aziz Afridi, a 29-year-old dental assistant, told AFP. “It’s one sit-in after another, someone’s protest today, someone else’s tomorrow.”

The seizure of shipping containers has also affected transport companies, with drivers reluctant to travel some routes for fear their cargo could be requisitioned as barriers. Imdad Hussain Naqvi, senior vice president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association, told AFP that police had stopped more than 2,500 containers in Islamabad and surrounding areas.

“The government doesn’t even pay us for the containers. Our containers have been stuck for almost 25 days,” he said.

Why is PTI marching on Islamabad?

PTI's planned protest is centered on demands linked to the release of party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces numerous cases, including corruption, treason and charges related to violence following the May 2023 unrest. He and his legal team reject the allegations and describe the cases as politically motivated.

The talks are the latest effort to ease a political standoff that has repeatedly brought protests, road blockades and clashes between PTI supporters and authorities. The outcome of Saturday's negotiations could determine whether the planned Islamabad protest goes ahead as scheduled.