- KP Chief Minister Bushra was not in favor of joining the march from Peshawar.
- Informed sources say that Gandapur, Bushra also discussed it.
- After meeting the leaders, Imran Khan agreed not to march to D Chowk.
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held talks with various PTI leaders and provided helicopters for two of them to go to Hasan Abdal, about 45 km from Islamabad, and marched Bushra Bibi towards D Chowk. Persuaded not to but the latter did not. Listen to anyone.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was not in favor of joining Bushra Bibi’s march from Peshawar. He tries to convince her to stay back but she insists on joining the protest march and leads it on board the container. An informed source said that the two had a discussion on the issue.
There have been a few occasions in recent days when there was a chance of a breakthrough during the recent background talks between the government and the PTI leadership.
The first occasion was three days before the date of the November 24 protest march when the two sides had a chance to hold formal talks but then PTI founder Imran Khan made a condition for their release by last Friday.
The government did not agree to this. Later, for two days, PTI leaders approached the government, particularly the interior minister, to meet Imran and take him to the destination of the protest march — D Chowk, Islamabad — in view of the Islamabad High Court verdict. Agreed to change. However, PTI leaders were not allowed to meet.
In the initial two-day background talks, Gandapur and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan were facilitated to meet Imran in Adiala Jail. Mohsin Naqvi is helping them reach an amicable solution.
On the second day of the protest march, on Monday, two PTI leaders, Barrister Gohar and Barrister Saif, were given the facility to meet the founder chairman of the jailed party.
After meeting with these leaders, Imran agreed not to march to D Chowk and to stage a sit-in at Sangjani in the suburbs of Islamabad. The party leadership was directed to continue the dharna in Sangjani till the outcome of background talks between the government and PTI.
According to sources, Imran Gandapur was also spoken to on phone. There was a suggestion that Imran should make a video message about his direction on Sangjani but it did not happen because the PTI founder was skeptical that his video message could be edited.
Imran’s message was conveyed to Bushra by some leaders including Gandapur, Umar Ayub and others but he insisted on continuing his protest march till Islamabad.
Later, Naqvi provided a helicopter to two PTI leaders, Gohar and Barrister Saif (who met Imran Khan on Monday), to go to Hasan Abdal and convince Bushra Bibi to stay. But when the two leaders reached Hasan Abdal, the march had moved towards Islamabad.
Sources say that Mohsin Naqvi also spoke to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Ayub Khan, but these leaders were also found helpless as the protest march was under complete control of Bushra Bibi.
Some PTI leaders, who have been in talks with the home minister over the past few days, have been appreciative of his role in helping him for a negotiated solution that led to formal talks. However, this did not happen.
Originally published. The News