KP Talks Naqvi accuses Sohail Afridi of derailing government-opposition negotiations

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of derailing government-opposition negotiations after the two sides had prepared a draft agreement.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi praised members of the opposition negotiating committee, saying they had participated in the talks in good faith and that a “very good” agreement had been prepared.

He said the proposed agreement had also been presented to President Asif Ali Zardari for review, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been kept informed about the negotiations.

Naqvi alleged that the negotiations were disrupted after the draft was prepared, when Afridi said the KP government would not accept it.

“If all decisions were ultimately to be taken by the KP chief minister, then he should have participated in the negotiations himself,” Naqvi said.

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The remarks came after marathon talks between the federal government and the PTI-led opposition ended without a breakthrough ahead of the party’s planned October 4 protest march.

Naqvi later said the proposed agreement mainly concerned counter-terrorism measures. According to his account, the KP government had initially agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, but withdrew from the commitments during the final stage of negotiations.

The proposed commitments included reconsidering the Police Act 2026 in light of the security situation, preventing militants from operating freely or establishing safe havens in the province, condemning the TTP and other militant groups, and supporting the federal policy on Afghan refugees.

The draft also included greater provincial ownership of counter-terrorism operations, stronger cooperation with the armed forces, additional funding for counter-terrorism and police operations, and implementation of the National Action Plan.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi disputed the federal government’s account. He shared a separate draft on social media and said the demands it contained were neither unconstitutional nor illegal. His proposed points included political dialogue, democratic freedoms and negotiations on wider national and constitutional issues.

The negotiations were initiated as the government and opposition sought to ease tensions surrounding the PTI’s planned march. The talks had followed discussions within the ruling coalition about possible measures to address the political situation in KP and the security concerns surrounding the protest.

With the negotiations ending in deadlock, the dispute between the federal government and the KP administration remains unresolved as the planned protest approaches.