CM Afridi shares 7-point negotiations draft as govt disputes document

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said the demands presented by his side during negotiations with the federal government were neither unconstitutional nor illegal, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi rejected the document as an attempt to derail an already agreed draft.

In a post on X, Afridi said he was presenting before the nation the draft he had sent to the negotiation committee, insisting that “not a single one” of the demands was unconstitutional or illegal.

He alleged that the people of the province were being treated as “second-class citizens” and said the demands had remained unchanged.

The seven-point draft calls for regular meetings between the prime minister and opposition leaders in both houses of Parliament to discuss major political, national, constitutional, legal and democratic issues.

It also proposes the formation of a joint political negotiation committee comprising representatives of the government coalition, Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition parties, with the committee tasked with making progress on outstanding issues within one month.

Among the key demands are the provision of legal, human and medical rights to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in accordance with the Constitution, law and jail rules.

The draft also seeks meetings for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi with family members, nominated lawyers and authorised companions, subject to jail rules and legal restrictions.

Another demand calls for applications against sentences and other legal petitions involving prisoners, including Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, women, elderly and sick inmates, to be taken up within 10 days where legally possible.

It further calls for the expeditious release of women serving what it describes as political imprisonment, specifically mentioning elderly PTI leader Yasmin Rashid and Bushra Bibi.

On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the draft seeks effective and continuous consultation between the federal and provincial governments to address terrorism, protect lives and property, and establish lasting peace.

It proposes that authorised representatives of both governments meet within 72 hours to formulate a comprehensive strategy for peace and security, with implementation to be a joint responsibility within the Constitution and law.

The final point states that PTI would cancel its current long march after receiving written assurances from the federal government on implementation of the agreed measures, while retaining its right to peaceful, democratic and legal protest if the government violated the assurances or constitutional and legal requirements.

Naqvi disputes claim

However, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi disputed Afridi’s version of events.

“This may have been his draft, circulated around midnight in what appeared to be an attempt to derail the drafts already agreed by both sides,” Naqvi said.

He added that the negotiating teams had finalised a separate draft with the government, which both sides had agreed to, alongside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa terrorism-related implementation plan.

In an earlier X post, Naqvi said the KP government had backed out of commitments on counterterrorism measures during the final phase of negotiations with the federal government.

In a statement on X, Naqvi said the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, but withdrew from the commitments during last night’s talks.

The proposed commitments included reconsideration of the Police Act 2026 in view of the security situation, preventing terrorists from operating freely or finding safe havens in the province, and an unequivocal condemnation of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and other terrorist groups.