Imran Khan rejects renewed dialogue with Pak govt, his party chooses mass mobilisation over negotiations: Report

Just as hopes for renewed dialogue between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the federal government appeared to be gaining momentum — reportedly with encouragement from influential quarters — PTI Chairman Imran Khan has once again chosen mass mobilisation over negotiations.

According to sources, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Ameen Gandapur had recently informed Khan and senior PTI leaders that a positive signal had been received from the “right quarters” to initiate talks with the federal government. These signals were widely interpreted as an indirect nod from the establishment, which has distanced itself from direct engagement with PTI in recent months.

However, when this message was relayed to the incarcerated PTI chief, he reportedly rejected the offer, instructing party leaders to instead prepare for street agitation. Party insiders suggest Khan remains convinced that public pressure remains the most effective lever to force a political breakthrough.

This marks the second major breakdown of potential dialogue in recent months. In November last year, a similar effort collapsed when PTI’s leadership, allegedly influenced by former First Lady Bushra Bibi, decided to extend a rally beyond Sangjani to D-Chowk in Islamabad. That move, sources acknowledge, alienated potential mediators and hardened the government’s stance at a time when it was reportedly open to talks.

Interestingly, this time, Barrister Gohar had initially conveyed Khan’s approval in principle to respond positively to a public dialogue offer made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the floor of the National Assembly. The offer came in the wake of PTI’s rare show of unity with the government and armed forces during recent border tensions with India. Yet, within a week, Khan reversed his position during a meeting with senior party leaders, citing a “misunderstanding” and reiterating that no negotiations would occur unless they were held directly with the establishment.

Sources familiar with internal discussions revealed that CM Gandapur had communicated to the PTI leadership that clear signals from influential power brokers encouraged moving forward with government-level talks.

Gandapur’s allies believe that such an understanding with the government would implicitly carry the establishment’s endorsement and could pave the way for legal relief for Khan, as well as broader political normalisation.

Despite repeated setbacks, there remains cautious optimism within some PTI circles that dialogue is the only viable path forward. However, with Khan once again betting on street power over negotiation, the stalemate seems far from over.

Some believe that the decision to prioritise agitation over talks could cost PTI a crucial opportunity to resolve issues before any adverse decisions are announced in the May 9 cases or the second Toshakhana reference. "Mass mobilisation to secure Imran Khan’s release appears increasingly improbable," a source noted, adding that the adversarial legal battle is far from over and could drag on for an extended period.