Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM holds 'productive' talks with PM Shehbaz, urges for 'political engagement' with Imran Khan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Ali Amin Gandapur, held a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday and stressed the need for political engagement with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, The News International reported.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Ali Amin Gandapur, held a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday and stressed the need for political engagement with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, The News International reported. Gandapur said that he requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to facilitate a meeting of his with Khan, adding that Shehbaz assured him of facilitating a meeting.

"I told him that political engagement with Khan Sahib is very necessary to solve political issues. He was very positive and told me plainly he would make my meeting possible so I can complete consultations regarding the Senate election," Dawn quoted Gandapur as saying after the meeting with PM Shehbaz. Gandapur has said he had very "positive" talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on public and provincial issues, law and order, and other matters.

"We had good talks. It was very positive. He assured that he would fulfil his promise and would not lie," the PTI leader said. The PTI leader further said PM Shehbaz had also assured him that he would be allowed to meet the party founder in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where the authorities have beefed up security measures and barred ex-premier Imran from holding meetings owing to a "threat alert," The News International reported.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM said he told the premier that he had to hold a meeting with the party founder to discuss the upcoming Senate polls. Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab's Home Department, citing a security alert, restricted all forms of visits, meetings, and interviews with Imran Khan within Adiala Jail.

The Punjab government has clarified that the restrictions have been put in place due to 'security concerns' and are not aimed at Khan, Geo News reported. "This move wasn't made to take away any facility from him (Imran Khan). There is a serious threat alert, that is under investigation," she said.

Last week, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested three terrorists, allegedly belonging to Afghanistan, who had a map of Adiala Jail, a hand grenade, and improvised explosive devices. Moreover, PTI Chairman Gohal Ali Khan expressed concerns over the abrupt ban on Khan's meetings in Adiala Jail and feared that the former PM's life was in danger, reported Dawn.

Gohar said that the party leaders were barred from meeting the incarcerated PTI founder. He said that the authorities did not inform anybody about the two-week ban on Khan's meeting. (ANI)

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