Despite the formal collapse of talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over its march towards Islamabad, backchannel contacts between the two sides have not completely ended, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi continuing to explore possible avenues to defuse the confrontation.
The latest development came with another meeting between Barrister Gohar and Naqvi even after the formal negotiations failed and the PTI-led march, headed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, began its journey towards Islamabad. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of statements made by the parties against each other.
The two sides had held intensive negotiations over the past few days in an effort to avert the march. According to reports, substantial progress had been made on a number of political and legal issues, but the talks ultimately broke down over disagreements relating particularly to counterterrorism measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sources familiar with the contacts said, however, that the failure of formal talks should not be interpreted as the complete closure of political channels. The continuing contact between Gohar and Naqvi indicates that both sides still have an interest in keeping some line of communication open, particularly to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The government's central concern remains that Islamabad should not again become the centre of prolonged political confrontation involving road blockades and a sit-in. Interior Minister Naqvi has publicly warned that the government would not allow the marchers to enter Islamabad and has stressed that repeated episodes of disruption in the capital must come to an end.
For the government and security establishment, the issue is also closely linked with the worsening security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the demand that the provincial government fully cooperate with the national counterterrorism policy. During the failed negotiations, the government had sought commitments from the PTI side on terrorism, cooperation with security forces, implementation of the National Action Plan and measures against militant groups.
PTI, on the other hand, has continued to link the political confrontation with its demands concerning Imran Khan, including access for his family and lawyers and relief in his legal and prison-related matters. Earlier, negotiations had also reportedly produced a framework covering some of these issues.
The latest Gohar-Naqvi contact suggests that despite the breakdown of the formal negotiating process and the launch of the march, the political door has not been completely shut. The immediate question, however, is whether these continuing backchannel contacts can produce a fresh understanding capable of stopping the march before it develops into another prolonged confrontation in Islamabad.
Informed sources say the coming days will be critical, as both sides appear to recognise that while the formal talks have failed, completely abandoning the political channel could further narrow the space for a negotiated way out.