Hours-long negotiations between the government and the opposition during a second round of talks ended in a “deadlock” early on Sunday.
asserted
negotiations → end → Sunday
The meeting at Parliament House began shortly before 5pm, with discussions focusing on the PTI’s planned Oct 4 march to Islamabad.
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discussions → begin → Islamabad
Details on the negotiating process were sparse as both sides seemingly agreed not to speak to the media before matters concluded.
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matters → agree → media
However, shortly before 3am, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, who was part of the opposition delegation, told the media that the talks had not succeeded in a breakthrough.
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talks → tell → breakthrough
“Deadlock,” he told reporters waiting at Parliament House in footage aired on Geo News.
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he → tell → News
Asked what the points of contention were, he said they were “small things”.
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they → ask → contention
He added that the “issue” of meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan could not be solved.
uncertain
issue → add → Khan
He went on to say that the deadlock was over Imran’s meeting with his personal physicians, and how to address terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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deadlock → go → Pakhtunkhwa
He said that talks had now ended, adding that a detailed press conference would be held later.
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conference → say → ?
Separately, PPP’s Sherry Rehman, who also participated in the talks, said the government delegation debated all points with the opposition.
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delegation → participate → opposition
“Unfortunately, the draft [agreement] was changed four times after it was agreed upon,” she told Geo News, adding that she would not go into the details.
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she → change → details
Speaking to reporters, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that the party’s long march was “intact” and would go ahead.
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march → speak → reporters
At the same time, he asserted that imposing an emergency or governor rule was not the answer to the protest.
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imposing → assert → protest
He further said that the participants had also not reached an agreement on when the next round of talks would take place.
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round → say → place
He said that the opposition’s demands presented during the second round of talks were “simple” and included meetings with Imran and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.
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demands → say → Imran
He said that there were a few issues pertaining to terrorism, where the negotiating process became “stuck”.
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process → say → terrorism
Hours-long talks
Visuals broadcast by DawnNewsTV after 9:30pm showed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi — part of the government delegation — departing Parliament House with a document in his hand, with media reports suggesting he was likely to consult the president.
More than an hour later, footage showed Naqvi returning to Parliament House, with the interior minister maintaining his silence as reporters swarmed him for queries.
The meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, was aimed at defusing the country’s ongoing political crisis.
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meeting → broadcast → crisis
The PTI’s planned Oct 4 protest march, aimed at demanding Imran’s release, has emerged as the latest point of contention between the party and the federal government.
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march → plan → party
Even as extended talks kept hopes for an agreement alive, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi remained adamant on proceeding with PTI’s march to Islamabad.
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Afridi → extend → Islamabad
After voicing his determination on Saturday afternoon — which irked government representatives — the KP CM again took to X at 12:46am to detail the itinerary for the protest march.
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CM → voice → march
Laying out the journey plan, Afridi said PTI supporters from the districts of Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat will join the long march from Lakki Marwat’s Gandi Chowk Lakki Marwat at 1pm on Oct 4.
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supporters → lay → Oct
The caravan will halt for the night near Karak, from where people will depart at 12:30pm the next day and stay overnight near Kohat.
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people → halt → Kohat
Then, at 12pm on Oct 6, protesters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram, and Orakzai will join the convoy, which will move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Mattani.
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which → join → Mattani
The KP CM’s post went on to say that the caravan will depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar on Oct 7 afternoon.
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caravan → go → afternoon
“The remaining constituencies of Peshawar will join us at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza.
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constituencies → remain → Bridge
And we will spend the night near Charsadda Interchange.”
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we → spend → Interchange
They would then depart the Charsadda Interchange at 12:30pm on Oct 8 after people from Charsadda and Mohmand join them.
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people → depart → them
Refraining from detailing the final leg of the trip to the federal capital, Afridi said the people “of entire KP” would gather at Khairabad on Oct 8 and spend the night there.
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people → refrain → night
“God willing, the plan for the next phase will be announced there.”
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plan → announce → phase
NA speaker hopes for ‘cordial’ talks
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speaker → hop → talks
When the huddle began, the NA speaker expressed his hope that the talks would proceed in the same “cordial atmosphere” as Friday’s, according to a post on the NA’s X account.
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talks → begin → account
The government side included Naqvi, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry.
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side → include → Interior
Rehman, along with MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, represented the PPP.
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Rehman → represent → PPP
The opposition delegation comprised the Senate opposition leader, PTI interim chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Opposition Chief Whip Amir Dogar, MNA Asad Qaiser, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh.
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delegation → comprise → leader
Prior to the meeting with the government, the opposition held a meeting in which standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the talks were finalised.
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procedures → hold → talks
It was decided that it would be proposed during the meeting that no one from either side would speak to the media during the talks and that a joint statement would be issued afterwards to avoid any misunderstanding.
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statement → decide → misunderstanding
Speaking to Dawn, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai said comments made by PPP’s Rehman on Friday had triggered a controversy, leaving the situation unpleasant until late at night.
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comments → speak → night
“The opposition alliance held a meeting before the start of the talks, during which the government side’s views regarding the law and order situation in KP were discussed.
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views → hold → KP
After consultation with the KP chief minister, a response was prepared, which will be presented to the government side during the meeting today,” he said.
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he → prepare → meeting
For the first time in almost three years, representatives of the federal government and the opposition PTI formally came together on Friday for talks aimed at easing the political tension in the country, and apprised each other of their positions.
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representatives → come → positions
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
