Government and opposition contacts have intensified ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 protest in Islamabad, but the discussions have not produced an agreement to call off the mobilisation.
The Express Tribune reported on September 20 that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in a contact requested by Naqvi. The discussion covered the planned march and matters concerning PTI founder Imran Khan.
Sources cited by the newspaper said PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan helped arrange the meeting and attended it.
Opposition says Imran Khan must be consulted
Raja Nasir has publicly maintained that only Imran Khan can decide whether the September 27 protest is postponed.
Dawn separately reported that opposition representatives told the government that they could not cancel the march without consulting Imran Khan. The opposition has sought a meeting with him as part of that process.
The accounts of the discussions contain claims attributed to political participants and unnamed sources. What is clear from the public positions is that government representatives have sought to prevent or postpone the march, while opposition leaders say a final decision requires consultation with Imran Khan.
No final agreement had been announced as of September 20.
Wider political and security context
The talks are taking place as Islamabad authorities prepare for the planned mobilisation. The government has said it will enforce the law and has expressed concern about security and economic disruption.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on September 20 that protests and sit-ins could cause losses of around Rs120 billion per day, citing research findings. That figure is a government estimate and should not be treated as an independently established cost.
PTI has framed the September 27 mobilisation around Imran Khan’s release and broader political demands. Opposition alliance figures have also been consulting over protest strategy.
The contacts between Naqvi and opposition leaders create a channel for negotiation, but they have not yet resolved the central disagreement: whether the march proceeds and whether opposition leaders will be given access to Imran Khan before making that decision.
Sources
- The Express Tribune — Govt opens talks with opposition
- Dawn — Opposition parties adamant on capital march despite government pleas
- Dawn — Finance minister says protests, sit-ins to cause daily loss of around Rs120bn