Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has categorically ruled out any talks with the federal government, instead calling for direct negotiations with the country’s establishment. This was stated by PTI leader Rauf Hassan during an appearance on private TV channel. Rauf Hassan said the government lacks the authority or capability to address PTI’s core concerns, adding that “talks will only be held with the establishment.”

Criticizing the government's conduct over the past three years, he asked,  He cited the events of November 26, when the party held a march and the state allegedly responded with heavy-handedness. Hassan added that when PTI previously engaged the government for talks, it couldn’t even facilitate a meeting with party founder Imran Khan.

During the same program, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui echoed the sentiment that “power talks to power,” noting that genuine negotiations occur only when both sides possess real influence. He argued that PTI, since its ouster from government, still behaves as though it holds decisive power.

“Whatever Imran Khan believes, the ground realities don’t support him anymore,” Siddiqui said, adding that the PTI founder is “now suffering from depression after seeing roads being blocked” in protest actions that no longer yield results. Siddiqui further cited PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who had remarked that “prison begins after a hundred years”—a reference to the incarceration of Imran Khan.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)