Minister Says PTI Agreed On Terrorism, Talks Collapsed at Final Stage After KP CM’s Intervention
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2026) State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Tuesday stated that a consensus on terrorism had been achieved during negotiations between the government and the opposition. However, he noted, the process failed at the final stage after new conditions were presented by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Chief Minister.
Chaudhry explained that the government had agreed to offer political space to the opposition in exchange for their full cooperation in eliminating terrorism.
Addressing a press conference, he recounted the positive progress made during negotiations on both terrorism and political issues before ultimately breaking down. He detailed discussions regarding the government's stance on terrorism, the implementation of the National Action Plan, and the KPK government's role in counter-terrorism efforts.
According to Chaudhry, on the initial day of talks, both sides reached an agreement on the basic framework of a deal encompassing terrorism and political matters. The opposition team subsequently traveled to Peshawar where they met with senior party leaders and ministers from the KPK government. After these consultations, they returned and assured the government of complete consensus on the federal government's position regarding terrorism.
He noted Mohsin Naqvi's previous request for a representative from the KPK government—preferably the Chief Minister himself—to participate in the negotiations. Despite repeated assurances by opposition leaders that they held full authority from their party and the KPK government, and that any agreement would be accepted universally, the request was not accommodated.
Chaudhry reported that after confirming the opposition's agreement on terrorism, Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Lahore to brief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Prime Minister, according to Chaudhry, was informed of PTI and the KPK government's willingness to cooperate in terrorism-related matters.
The minister recounted the Prime Minister's directive to offer the opposition maximum political space. He quoted the Prime Minister as emphasizing that while political parties could gain or lose popularity, national security should remain paramount.
Terrorism-related issues were reportedly resolved by the second day of negotiations, shifting discussions to political matters. An agreement was subsequently reached on these points, leading to the completion of a draft deal. Chaudhry characterized this development as the inception of a "Charter of Democracy 2" and expressed that the government's significant achievement would have been bringing PTI on board.