Summary Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says the KP government agreed to a written security deal and counterterrorism measures but withdrew from its commitments during the final stage of talks.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal-PTI negotiations aimed at preventing the party’s planned long march towards Islamabad have ended in deadlock, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claiming that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government withdrew from agreed security commitments during the final phase of talks.
In a detailed post on social media platform X, Naqvi said the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours covering security and counterterrorism operations. However, he said the provincial government backed out of the commitments when negotiations entered their final stage.
The KP Government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, covering • Reconsideration of the Police Act 2026 in light of the security situation and the need to protect security matters from political interference • Preventing terrorists from operating freely or finding safe havens in the province • Unequivocal condemnation of TTP/TTA and all other terrorist groups • Support for the national policy on Afghan refugees, including repatriation and dismantling Afghan camps in KP • No contact with the Interim Afghan Government • Substantial funding for counterterrorism operations and the police • Full provincial ownership of counterterrorism measures and stronger cooperation with the Armed Forces • Decisions on counterterrorism in the former FATA and merged districts • Implementation of the National Action Plan Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP Government backed out of these commitments. Security must not be politicised while the province is at War
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) October 4, 2026
According to the interior minister, the proposed agreement included a review of the Police Act 2026 in view of the security situation and the need to keep security and police matters free from political interference. The KP government had also agreed to take measures to prevent terrorist groups from operating freely or being provided safe havens in the province.
Naqvi said the provincial government had further agreed to unequivocally condemn the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and all other terrorist groups.
He added that the KP government had agreed to support the national policy on Afghan refugees, including the closure of refugee camps and their repatriation. The provincial government had also agreed not to maintain direct contact with the Afghan Taliban government and to handle related matters through the federal government.
The interior minister said the proposed agreement also covered adequate funding for the provincial police and counterterrorism operations, important decisions regarding counterterrorism efforts in the erstwhile FATA and merged districts, implementation of the National Action Plan and stronger cooperation with the armed forces to ensure provincial ownership of counterterrorism measures.
“Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP government backed out of these commitments,” Naqvi said, stressing that security should not be politicised while the province was facing a war-like situation.
The remarks came after two rounds of negotiations between the federal government and PTI on Friday and Saturday failed to produce an agreement. The talks were held as the PTI sought to address its demands before proceeding with its planned long march towards Islamabad.
The negotiations remained deadlocked over key issues, including access to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, a meeting with his personal doctor and concerns regarding military operations in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hosting internally displaced persons.
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said after the talks that the two sides could not agree on the basic issues under discussion, while Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said differences persisted over access to Imran Khan and other matters.
The draft agreement also underwent several changes during the negotiations. PPP leader Sherry Rehman said the draft had been revised four times and that the government had considered the PTI’s concerns, but stressed that there could be no compromise on terrorism.
The developments came after a member of the negotiating committee had said that the government and opposition had reached agreement on around 95% of the issues and expected to resolve the remaining points during the night.
However, the talks ultimately ended without consensus, with both sides maintaining differences over fundamental issues.
Following the failure of negotiations, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the start of PTI’s long march towards Islamabad. In a post on X, he said the first phase would begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm on Sunday, with participants from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat joining the convoy.
Separately, Afridi shared the list of demands presented to the negotiating team, saying the draft contained no unconstitutional or illegal demands. He proposed a formal meeting between the prime minister and opposition leaders in both houses to discuss political, national, constitutional, legal and democratic matters.
The KP chief minister also proposed the formation of a joint negotiation committee comprising representatives of the government alliance, PPP and opposition parties. Regarding prisoners’ rights, he called for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to be provided rights under the jail manual and applicable laws, including legal, humanitarian and medical rights without discrimination.
Afridi also demanded that meetings with prisoners be arranged according to law and jail rules and called for an end to unnecessary delays in cases involving women, elderly and sick prisoners. He sought the release of political prisoners, including Yasmin Rashid and Bushra Bibi, on humanitarian grounds.
He further called for political and national matters to be resolved through consultation and negotiations, with a political negotiation committee presenting actionable recommendations within one month. He also demanded guarantees for democracy, politics, the judiciary and press freedom.
Afridi said PTI would cancel the ongoing long march if the federal government provided a written assurance on its demands.
Responding to the draft, Naqvi said it was circulated around midnight in what he described as an attempt to derail the drafts already agreed by both sides. He said the negotiating teams had instead finalised a separate draft with the federal government, which both sides had agreed to alongside the KP terrorism-related implementation plan.
The developments have left the government and PTI at an impasse, with the federal government maintaining that counterterrorism commitments cannot be compromised while the PTI-backed KP government has moved ahead with its planned long march towards Islamabad.
