Lahore, 4 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of derailing negotiations between the federal government and the opposition, saying 99 percent of the proposed agreement had been settled before the talks collapsed. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said the opposition negotiating committee had participated in the talks in good faith and that a comprehensive draft agreement had been prepared and revised four times. He said only one or two issues remained unresolved when changes were proposed to the draft, after which the KP chief minister rejected the agreement. Naqvi questioned why Afridi had not directly participated in the negotiations if he intended to take the final decision. The interior minister said two proposed agreements were under discussion, one covering broader political matters and the other focused on counterterrorism. He claimed the KP government had initially agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, including commitments to prevent militant groups from operating freely or establishing safe havens, condemn the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist organisations, and implement the National Action Plan. Other proposals included increased funding for police and counterterrorism operations, stronger coordination with the armed forces, provincial responsibility for security measures, and policies regarding Afghan refugees and camps in KP.
Naqvi said security issues should not be mixed with political disputes and urged the provincial government to cooperate with the federal authorities in combating terrorism. The opposition and government delegations held lengthy negotiations at Parliament House ahead of the PTI’s planned October 4 march towards Islamabad, but failed to reach a breakthrough. Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said the deadlock also involved access for jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to his personal physicians and disagreements over counterterrorism in KP. Naqvi said the federal government had not asked the opposition to postpone its long march, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party had expressed a desire to delay the demonstration to reduce political tensions. He warned that the government would not allow protesters to occupy roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas or public buildings in Islamabad in violation of court orders, and said the government would enforce the Islamabad High Court’s September 14 order. Naqvi further warned that those arrested during protests would face legal proceedings if they violated the law and said responsibility for any damage would rest with Afridi. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi released his proposed draft agreement on social media, maintaining that its demands were neither unconstitutional nor illegal. The proposals included political negotiations, access to medical care and family meetings for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, progress on pending prisoner appeals where legally possible, and continued federal-provincial consultations on counterterrorism and peace in KP. Afridi said PTI would cancel its long march if the federal government provided written assurances to implement the proposed measures, while retaining the right to peaceful and lawful protest if the commitments were not fulfilled.