Islamabad, October 1, 2026: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai has not ruled out talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif but said he would not hold negotiations at the Prime Minister’s House, Prime Minister’s Office or the National Assembly speaker’s chamber.
Speaking to the media at Parliament House after a meeting of opposition leaders, Achakzai said he was willing to meet anywhere else in Pakistan, including at the residence of a political leader.
“The prime minister is illegitimate. The mandate of millions of Pakistanis — harsh words are rising to my lips; that is why I am silent,” he said.
“I am ready to sit anywhere in Pakistan, under any tree. I am ready to visit the house of any party leader. But I will not go to the speaker’s house, the Prime Minister’s House or the prime minister’s chamber,” he added.
Achakzai was responding to a question about Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah’s invitation to him and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz.
In a video shared by opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Achakzai also said a meeting with the prime minister would take place after he met jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.
The possibility of talks comes amid heightened political tensions over the PTI’s planned October 4 protest march to Islamabad, which the party says is aimed at demanding Imran Khan’s release.
The TTAP, headed by Achakzai and including the PTI, has announced that it will participate in the protest. The federal government, meanwhile, has warned that it could consider constitutional measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including governor’s rule or emergency, citing the security situation and the planned march.
Prime Minister Shehbaz had previously invited Achakzai for consultations on issues of national importance and matters related to the PTI. The prime minister had also invited him in September for consultation on the appointment of a new chief election commissioner.
‘Off-the-record talks’ under way
Earlier on Thursday, Rana Sanaullah said the federal government and PTI were engaged in “off-the-record talks” regarding the planned October 4 protest.
Speaking to a private news channel, Sanaullah said consultations were continuing with PTI’s senior leadership over the proposed march.
He said the government had made arrangements to prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad if the march went ahead.
Sanaullah described the proposed march as involving a provincial government “attacking the capital”, referring to the PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and said the law would be enforced to prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad.
Asked about the possibility of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah said the option was “on the table”. He said the federal government was consulting its coalition partners on the matter and that any such step would require parliamentary approval.
He also alleged that the KP chief minister had not been adequately performing his constitutional responsibilities, particularly regarding development and counterterrorism.
The PTI has rejected the government’s warnings and reiterated that its October 4 march would proceed as planned. Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said there was no possibility of postponing the protest.
The political standoff has intensified as the federal government weighs its response to the planned march, while opposition parties have called for political dialogue to address the dispute.
