Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently in jail, has expressed his willingness to hold “conditional negotiations” with Pakistan’s powerful military. One of the conditions for the talks is the holding of clean and transparent elections with the dropping of cases against Khan’s supporters. Khan has appointed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as his representative for the negotiations. The ruling government accused Khan of pleading for talks with the army and demanded an apology for his previous attacks on the institution.
Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), believes the charges against him are politically motivated to prevent his return to power. PTI candidates had a strong showing in this year’s election, and a court recently ruled in their favor for extra reserved seats, positioning them to be the largest party in the National Assembly. However, police raided the PTI headquarters in Islamabad, and there were attempts to ban the party by the government, believed to be supported by the military.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and a United Nations panel of experts have raised concerns about the attempts to ban PTI and Khan’s detention. Khan’s recent legal victories and increasing parliamentary seats for PTI have been seen as setbacks for the ruling government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The situation in Pakistan remains tense as political parties and state institutions navigate through these challenges.
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