Islamabad, 05 October (H.S.): Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has made sharp remarks against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, alleging that party workers are roaming the streets carrying weapons, while its leaders are “hiding like rats” in bomb-proof and bullet-proof government vehicles. The remarks came amid the failure of talks between the government and PTI over the Islamabad march.

According to reports by The News and Dawn, Asif said in a post on X that senior members of the party were violating court orders, using government resources and travelling in armed convoys. Criticising the opposition party, he said that the use of helicopters, government resources and armed processions constituted an open violation of court orders.

He questioned what guarantee there would be that any agreement between PTI and the government would be respected if court orders themselves were being violated. Asif also said that all sides had agreed to and respected the National Action Plan, but PTI was unwilling to abide by it.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi has begun the march from Gandhi Chowk in Lakki Marwat.

PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja claimed on Sunday that the main reason for the failure of the overnight negotiations was the federal government's insistence that the provincial government accept as its own action the unilateral counter-terrorism operation initiated by the federal government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Raja said in a post on X that PTI and Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Pakistan (TTAP) leaders had remained firm on their principled position that such action could be undertaken only with the consent of the federal and provincial governments. He said it could be accepted after consultation and consensus in the provincial assembly.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Secretary-General Mohammad Humayun Khan has called for political reconciliation through dialogue to resolve differences between the government and PTI. He said that confrontation would further deepen political uncertainty.

In a statement issued in Peshawar on Sunday, the PPP leader said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not bear the prolonged burden of protest politics, road blockades and continuing political uncertainty, as such developments directly affect ordinary citizens, traders and the business community.

He said that keeping the doors of dialogue open was a fundamental principle of democratic politics as well as a national responsibility. Political leaders, he said, should rise above personal and partisan differences and make resolving issues in the public interest their highest priority.

The PPP leader said that issues related to law and order, employment, education and basic public services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa required immediate political attention.

He stressed the need for better coordination and effective working relations between the federal and provincial governments, saying this could strengthen joint efforts against terrorism and contribute to political and administrative stability.

Khan urged political forces to focus on dialogue rather than confrontation and work towards practical and sustainable solutions to the country's problems. He said Pakistan's strength was linked to political stability, provincial harmony and a serious political approach aimed at providing relief to the people.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar