Imran Khan Offers Conditional Talks with Pakistan Military

Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has announced that his party is ready for “conditional negotiations” with the country’s military. He has also named a representative for these talks.

We are willing to engage in conditional talks if the military leadership designates a representative,” stated a post on Khan’s official X page on Wednesday, referencing a message from him that was sent from jail on Tuesday The army, which has ruled Pakistan directly for almost half of its 76-year history but denies political involvement, has not yet responded to Khan’s offer.

Khan stated that one of the conditions for the negotiations is the holding of “clean and transparent” elections and the dropping of what he termed as “bogus” cases against his supporters. He has appointed Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a close political ally and leader of a smaller party, to represent him in the talks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government accused Khan of “pleading” for talks with the military and demanded he apologize for his past criticisms of the institution, according to local media reports.

Marriyum Aurangzeb from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party commented in a statement, ‘The self-proclaimed revolutionary who claimed he would never seek forgiveness is now begging the armed forces for dialogue.’ Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar labeled Khan’s offer as a “conspiracy against the country” and another attempt by the PTI founder to involve state institutions in his “dirty politics.”

Khan has been in jail since last August, convicted in some cases ahead of a national election in February. He is also facing dozens of other ongoing cases. Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party claim that the charges are politically motivated to prevent his return to power.

Candidates backed by PTI performed better than expected in this year’s election, and a court recently ruled that they were eligible for additional reserved seats, though still not enough to gain outright control. On July 22, police raided the PTI headquarters in Islamabad, a week after Sharif’s government, believed to be supported by the military, promised to ban the main opposition party.

Earlier this month, an Islamabad judge overturned Khan’s conviction for an illegal marriage, and the Supreme Court awarded PTI more parliamentary seats, making it the largest party in the National Assembly. Both decisions were seen as significant setbacks for Sharif, who gained a parliamentary majority after the February election by forming a coalition.

Read More: PTI Gains Parliamentary Seats in Pakistan Court Decision

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan criticized the move to ban PTI as ‘a severe blow to democratic norms,’ adding that it ‘smacks of political desperation.’ A United Nations expert panel recently concluded that Khan’s detention ‘lacked any legal basis and seemed intended to disqualify him from political office.’