PPP Leader Claims PTI-Government Talks Failed Over Counterterrorism Clause
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: A senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader has claimed that negotiations between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the federal government were close to an agreement before Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi opposed a provision concerning action against militants.
Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, president of the PPP’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, made the allegation during a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, October 8.
Bacha claimed that 98% of the negotiations had been successfully completed but that Afridi’s objection to the counterterrorism provision prevented the discussions from producing an agreement.
The percentage and explanation for the breakdown represent Bacha’s account of the negotiations. No independently verified negotiating document or statement from the other participants was presented to establish that version of events.
PPP Criticises PTI Leadership
Bacha said the PPP had helped provide a platform for dialogue between PTI and the federal government.
He criticised remarks directed at President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a recent provincial cabinet meeting, arguing that the party’s leadership should have been acknowledged for facilitating talks.
The PPP leader also accused Chief Minister Afridi of using cabinet meetings to criticise political opponents rather than addressing the province’s security and governance challenges.
He questioned the chief minister’s criticism of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi over a briefing on the provincial law-and-order situation.
Bacha defended the governor’s role, arguing that constitutional responsibilities allowed him to remain involved in matters affecting provincial security.
Security Concerns and Long March
The PPP leader also criticised Afridi’s ongoing political long march across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He argued that the province faced serious security challenges and that its leadership should prioritise counterterrorism efforts, public safety and economic problems.
Bacha referred to the PPP’s history of losses from militant violence, including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, while reiterating his party’s opposition to terrorism.
He further accused PTI’s provincial administration of failing to address unemployment, corruption and development concerns during its years in power.
These criticisms were political allegations made by the PPP leader and were not independently substantiated during the press conference.
Bacha warned that PTI and the chief minister would bear political responsibility for any future changes in the province’s political situation.
The remarks highlight growing tensions between the two parties over political dialogue, provincial governance and counterterrorism policy.
The precise reasons for the reported breakdown in negotiations remain disputed, and Bacha’s account does not by itself establish that Afridi was solely responsible.
