Establishment, Gandapur’s backdoor channels ongoing for IK release

ISLAMABAD: Backdoor channels between the Establishment and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur are ongoing, focused on release of Imran Khan and other jailed PTI members.

This was revealed by well-placed sources in the Gandapur camp to this correspondent on condition of strict anonymity.

Chief Minister Gandapur continues to enjoy “good” rapport with senior military leadership even though negotiations between the party and the government have officially come to a halt.

PTI insiders maintained that Gandapur is working hard to sustain ties with the military, drawing sharp criticism from Junaid Akbar Khan, the new PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President, regarded as a hawk within the party ranks.

According to some party circles, the recent open letter to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir by jailed PTI founding chairman Imran Khan indicates that he is again at a blow hot stage seeking engagement rather than at the blow cold stage when he heaps accusations against the military.

The letter’s reference to rising socio-economic and security concerns indicates that Imran Khan is blowing hot by directly writing to the Army Chief but the letter’s content indicates blowing cold, said a PTI insider insisting he not be named.

“The doves within PTI leadership are urging Imran Khan to engage in talks with the military which is necessary as real power rests with them [military],” said a senior PTI leader who again declined to be named.

In the weeks before the November 2024 protest, Imran Khan authorised his party leaders to engage in dialogue with the military. However, as has been witnessed time and again talks stalled after his arrest in a new case, despite bail in another.

Khan was granted bail in Toshakhana case involving a discounted Bulgari jewelry set, but his release was halted when Rawalpindi police charged him with terrorism linked to a protest in September 2024.

It is widely known that at present there are two factions within PTI– one led by Chief Minister Gandapur, in favor of dialogue with the military; and the other headed by the newly-appointed PTI KP President, Junaid Akbar Khan, who is more hardline with respect to negotiations with the Establishment.

Spokesperson for the KP government, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, and the PTI KP President, Junaid Akbar Khan, did not respond to requests for comments till the filing of this report.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025