PTI's Top Leadership Holds Rare 'Positive' Meeting with COAS Munir Amid Government Talks

PTI’s Top Leadership Holds Rare ‘Positive’ Meeting with COAS Munir Amid Government Talks

Amid ongoing negotiations with the government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar announced that he met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, accompanied by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Addressing reporters at the Adiala Jail courtroom on Thursday, Gohar finally acknowledged that he had met with the military chief after previously denying it.

Detailing what occurred during their unusual discussions with the COAS, the PTI chairman stated that all of the party’s issues and requests were presented directly to General Munir.

He described the direct talks with the establishment as an encouraging step toward addressing ongoing challenges. Barrister Gohar further noted: “Ali Amin Gandapur and I conferred with COAS Munir, during which we articulated all of PTI’s concerns and priorities.”

PTI founder Imran Khan also verified with journalists that Gohar had met with the army chief in Peshawar.

Khan remarked that his party had been striving to bring the other side to the negotiating table for an extended period. Meanwhile, sources indicated that the PTI chairman was flown to Peshawar by helicopter to meet with the military chief.

The meeting reportedly occurred during COAS Munir’s visit to Peshawar, where he interacted with top provincial political leaders and stressed, “If there is a state, there is politics. God forbid, without a state, there is nothing.”

Khan stated, “The door was closed from the other side. Now that it has opened, this is promising news and [will bring] stability to Pakistan,” despite his opposition to striking any deal with rivals. Expanding on the alleged meeting while speaking to Geo News, Gohar commented: “What Imran Khan has said about my meeting with the COAS is accurate.”

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The confirmation arrives following reports that backchannel discussions between the government and PTI, which had stalled a few weeks ago amid attention to the formal dialogue process between the two parties, have resumed and progressed into a critical phase.

A knowledgeable source revealed to the publication that two PTI leaders—Barrister Gohar and KP CM Gandapur—held an exclusive meeting with three significant individuals.

This meeting, conducted last Monday, was not held in Islamabad or Rawalpindi. In a subsequent meeting, a federal minister and two important individuals will convene with the PTI delegation.

Nonetheless, the outcome of these gatherings relies on the PTI’s future strategies and political approach, requiring them to accept the system and move away from tactics of agitation and conflict.

The political climate is heating up as this development follows the third round of discussions between the former ruling party and the government, during which the PTI has officially submitted its written demands.

In its demands, the PTI requested the formation of two commissions headed by the chief justice or three senior judges of the Supreme Court to investigate the incidents related to the protests of May 9, 2023, and November 24, 2024.

The party also called on the federal and provincial governments to endorse court orders granting bail or suspending the convictions and sentences of all political prisoners.