Federal-Opposition Talks Collapse as KP Chief Accused of Sabotage

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi declared on Sunday that the federal-opposition dialogue collapsed after a prolonged discussion in Islamabad, citing the PTI’s long march as a key factor. He blamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations and reiterated that the Islamabad High Court’s September 14 ruling prohibiting political occupations of roads and buildings must be respected, with legal consequences for violators.

Naqvi said the opposition had not requested a postponement of the march, although PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto had previously indicated a desire to delay it. The talks aimed to reach a main political agreement and a separate counter-terrorism pact, but the KP government withdrew its commitments on security measures. Both sides left the venue disappointed, with the opposition pointing to Imran Khan’s medical visits and the KP government’s reluctance to cooperate on counter-terrorism as sticking points.