News
October 09, 2026
Shehbaz Urges PTI to Call off March, Resolve Issues through Dialogue
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the PTI to end its long march to Islamabad and invited the opposition to sit with the government to resolve contentious issues through political dialogue.
The opposition has gone ahead with its march despite warnings from the Center, which has vowed to prevent any gatherings in Islamabad. The protest aims to demand the release of jailed party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk underpass in Islamabad on Tuesday, the premier said it was “unfortunate” that the “dreadful shadows” of long marches were hovering again, despite the PML-N and the PPP making efforts to engage the PTI in talks.
The two parties, the prime minister said, held talks for two days in National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s chamber, and “it was hoped that the politics of confrontation would end”.
“Unfortunately, that did not happen. They [PTI] only had one purpose: to ensure that the talks do not succeed,” the premier said, adding that the opposition party demanded changes to things already settled upon.
PM Shehbaz asserted that these protests and long marches affected the country’s economy and created hindrances in exports, imports and manufacturing.
“We collectively improved the economy in 2.5 years and reached macroeconomic stability. Now is the time for it to flourish,” the premier added.
“In September, our information technology exports, remittances and the country’s production improved,” he said.
“If someone harms it, is it not equivalent to being an enemy of the country?”
The premier stressed that putting the economy in shambles and the lives of people in danger will not be allowed.
“The law will take its course,” he said.
“I will still say: come to your senses. Will your actions harm the country or benefit it? … End your long march and protests. When you end them, we will surely sit down with you,” he said.
Earlier in the same ceremony, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, without naming anyone, that people had to see for themselves which public representatives were working for their welfare and which ones were engaging in “negative politics”.
Responding to the premier’s remarks, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that talks remained “limited to offers”.
“No positive step gets taken and it is a matter of great concern for us,” he said while speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail.
He pointed out that it had been almost a year since the party’s last meeting with Imran on Oct 16, 2025, calling this “inhumane”.
He also criticized that Imran was being denied meetings with his doctors, family, lawyers, and party, saying: “We did not want to sit for a photo session together with you.”
Gohar added that the party had always stood with the state and put Pakistan first, yet they were still not granted access to their leader. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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