Karachi: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh on Tuesday held the government responsible for the failure of talks, saying the government side could not agree on two key issues the treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan and the inclusion of all political parties and stakeholders in decisions concerning terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at a press conference at Insaf House Karachi, Haleem Adil Sheikh said the negotiations concerned the interests of 250 million Pakistanis and that a deadlock in talks amounted to a deadlock in the country's political stability. 'We went for talks because we wanted a political solution to the problems facing the country,' he said.

PTI Sindh General Secretary Dr. Masroor, Karachi president Faheem Khan, Raja Azhar, Arslan Khalid, Aftab Jahangir, Rizwan Niazi, Jamal Siddiqui, Rana Wasim, Mubashir, Hafiz-ul-Haq, Advocate GM Azad, Advocate Shujaat Ali Khan, Muhammad Ali Baloch, Fauzia Siddiqui, Advocate Khan Zaman, Ameer Hamza, Maulana Jameel Azhar Wathra, Sareena Khan, Ayesha Rashid and other party leaders attended the press conference.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said political tensions and what he described as 'anti-public measures' had continued since April 10, 2022, but negotiations had offered an opportunity to find a way out of the crisis.

He alleged that the government had created a deadlock over minor issues. He said the negotiating sides had agreed from the outset not to discuss details of the talks publicly, adding that PTI had honoured the understanding.

'Unfortunately, Sherry Rehman went to the media and spoke about the negotiations. Statements were made on television about matters that were not part of the talks,' he alleged.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said long marches had been a part of Pakistan's political process and that almost every major march had eventually been followed by negotiations.

He cited several examples from the country's political history, saying opposition parties led by Nawaz Sharif marched towards Islamabad in 1989, while Benazir Bhutto led marches against the Nawaz Sharif government in 1992 and 1993.

He said Jamaat-i-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed organised a million march against the Benazir Bhutto government in 1996. The lawyers' movement also witnessed major long marches in 2008 and 2009 for the restoration of the deposed judges, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz under Mr Sharif led a march for the restoration of the judiciary in 2009.

He said Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri led a long march from Lahore to Islamabad in 2013 seeking electoral reforms, while PTI held a prolonged protest and sit-in in Islamabad in 2014 over the audit of the 2013 election results and demanded the resignation of the prime minister. PAT also held its so-called Revolution March that year.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan held a sit-in at Faizabad in 2017, while the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman organised the Azadi March from Karachi to Islamabad in 2019. The TLP again marched towards Islamabad in 2021.

In 2022, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari led an Awami March from Karachi to Islamabad, passing through 34 cities and towns, while the PML-N also organised its 'Mehangai Mukao March' towards Islamabad under the leadership of Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz, he said.

'Long marches are part of the political process. We are also marching for public rights, judicial independence, an end to inflation and the release of Imran Khan and other political prisoners,' Haleem Sheikh said.

Referring to the violence following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Dec 27, 2007, Mr Sheikh said the country had suffered substantial human and economic losses.

He cited a US diplomatic report, subsequently published by Dawn, according to which the unrest following the assassination caused an estimated economic loss of around Rs115 billion to Rs120bn, or about $2bn at the time.

The losses included around Rs35bn in lost tax revenue, Rs64bn in lost production due to the closure of factories and shops and nearly Rs20bn in losses caused by looting and destruction of banks, he said. The railway sector suffered losses of around Rs12.3bn, while about 6,000 vehicles were destroyed, according to the figures cited by him.

He said the situation in Sindh was particularly severe. Citing estimates issued by the Sindh government on Dec 29, 2007, he said more than 900 vehicles were destroyed, 131 banks were burnt, 37 police stations were attacked and 31 petrol pumps were set on fire. Forty people were killed and 57 injured, he said.

Mr Sheikh said the events showed that political disputes and crises should be resolved through dialogue and political means rather than violence.

The PTI leader said all sides wanted the negotiations to succeed and reach an agreement, adding that his party's demands were the same as those announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi for the Sept 27 protest.

He said PTI wanted Imran Khan to receive treatment at Shifa International Hospital in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions, his meetings to be restored in line with court orders, and cases against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and other leaders to be heard.

The party also demanded an end to what it described as the illegal arrests of Mr Khan's sisters, hearings of cases and their right to appeal, as well as the immediate release of all members of the provincial and national assemblies, he said.

Mr Sheikh said the first demand during the negotiations was a meeting with Imran Khan, but the meeting did not take place.

He said a government member had told the negotiating team that a doctor from London had been called to treat Mr Khan's blood pressure.

'This was something new for us. If treatment for blood pressure is available here, why was a doctor called from London?' he quoted himself as asking.

He said PTI had demanded that Mr Khan's personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, be allowed to meet him and be involved in his treatment, but the demand was not accepted.

He further alleged that medical reports concerning Mr Khan's treatment were not shared with the party. Even if treatment was to be provided at PIMS, he said, PTI had asked that Dr Faisal Sultan be included in the treatment process.

Mr Sheikh said terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other issues were also discussed during the talks.

According to him, the government raised the issue of the repatriation of Afghan nationals and funding for the KP police. He said the provincial government had informed them that more than 1.4 million Afghan nationals had been repatriated from the province and all camps had been closed.

He said the KP government had provided Rs12bn to the police, while Rs20bn had not been provided by the federal government.

Mr Sheikh said a jirga had previously been held in KP with participation from all parliamentary parties and PTI wanted all political parties and stakeholders to be taken on board under the National Action Plan.

He said PTI was not opposed to emergency measures if required in five districts, but decisions should be taken through consultation rather than behind closed doors.

'We want a long-term, consensus-based policy against terrorism involving all political parties and stakeholders,' he said.

According to Mr Sheikh, the negotiating committee could not agree on the two issues - involving Mr Khan's personal physician in his treatment and including all political parties and stakeholders in decisions concerning terrorism.

He alleged that the government's negotiating team did not have full authority and held it responsible for the failure of the talks.

Mr Sheikh said the PTI's long march was aimed at securing the release of Imran Khan, judicial independence and an end to inflation.

'We are coming through a peaceful protest. Millions of people are participating peacefully and not even a flowerpot has been broken,' he said.

He questioned why Pashtuns were being pushed back and said citizens had the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

He said PTI had organised protests across Sindh, with more than 76 workers arrested and demonstrations held in around 30 cities.

He said Mr Afridi had now called upon people from across the country to reach Swabi and join the long march.

'People from Sindh will also reach Swabi on Oct 8,' he said, adding that PTI workers would use different routes and means to reach the destination.

Mr Sheikh described Mr Afridi as Imran Khan's representative and urged people to reach Swabi on Oct 8.

'Political issues should be resolved through dialogue and constitutional means rather than force,' he said.

Reacting to the prime minister's statement, Mr Sheikh said: 'The prime minister should keep his advice to himself. He is a product of Form 47.' He added that the current situation could have been avoided had the government accepted PTI's demands.