PTI's 'doors are open' to Fazl's offer to play a role in breaking deadlock with govt: Junaid Akbar

PTI's 'doors are open' to Fazl's offer to play a role in breaking deadlock with govt: Junaid Akbar.

Key points

• News Desk Published October 9, 2026 Updated October 9, 2026 02: 04am.
• Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif additionally appeared to be confirming that efforts to restart negotiations between the Centre and the opposition were under way.
• The discussions, even so, concluded in a stalemate, with counterterrorism policies and access to Imran emerging as two major sticking points.
• Discussing the matter, he additionally remarked that Fazl was seemingly involved, either directly or indirectly.
• According to They, another reason for the failure of the negotiations was that the administration was not willing to pursue a collective strategy against terrorism.

News Desk Published October 9, 2026 Updated October 9, 2026 02: 04am. Join our Whatsapp Channel.

According to PTI MNA Junaid Akbar on Thursday, jamiat Ulema-I-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had offered to play a role in ending the deadlock between the administration and opposition and the PTI's "doors are open" to it.

Over the weekend, the administration and opposition held two rounds of negotiations ahead of the PTI's march, initially planned for Islamabad, to demand the release of jailed party founder Imran Khan. The discussions, even so, concluded in a stalemate, with counterterrorism policies and access to Imran emerging as two major sticking points.

Speaking on the Geo News programme ' Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath ' on Thursday evening, Akbar remarked Fazl had contacted the PTI leadership and expressed the desire to play his part in ending the deadlock, if agreed to by the party.

"We are political people and we understand that the issue can be solved with dialogue, " he continued, emphasising that "the intention of this should be dialogue" rather than an attempt to trap the PTI.

"Whatever role he wants to play in any purposeful dialogue that happens, our doors are open, " he remarked, adding that the party had been open to this "from the start".

"We have never run from dialogue; we want the solution to be found through negotiations, " Akbar remarked, but went on that the party was not given "space" for this.

Although he observed that the JUI-F chief had been in touch with PTI leadership while he was away for Umrah, in response to a question, he remarked that no framework had been proposed by Fazl regarding his role in the negotiations.

While the MNA repeatedly stressed that the PTI's "doors were open" to negotiations, he asserted that this could not be done by force.

"Our doors have always been open, but we will not sit down for negotiations at gunpoint, nor will we agree to them; no one can force us into negotiations, " he remarked.

In practice, the MNA continued, "We are ready to sit down with anyone who wants to; we ask that you either convince us, or at least listen to what we have to say."

"I wish a positive result comes out of the efforts of those involved in the discussions. But, I have little hope. Those making efforts are my brothers and friends, and I wish them well. We should always avoid unnecessary confrontation, " he remarked during ARY News programme ' Khabar Muhammad Malick Ke Saath '.

On Wednesday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah additionally stated "the doors for talks are open", recalling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's remarks from Tuesday calling on the PTI leadership to sit down with the administration for dialogue and abandon their protest aims.

Nevertheless, he additionally cautioned that the PTI could pressure the administration into accepting its demands by holding the state "hostage" and creating political instability.

Prior to that, a delegation of opposition parties called on Fazl. This person advised the administration after the gathering not to obstruct the PTI long march heading towards Islamabad, as protests were a democratic right enjoyed by all political parties.

Speaking to the media alongside opposition leaders outside his residence, the JUI-F leader additionally called on the administration to trust the PTI's intention regarding a peaceful protest. When political parties say they will remain peaceful, their word should be trusted, he remarked in a comment on measures taken by the administration to stop the PTI protesters from entering the federal capital.

Notably, a delegation of the administration additionally visited Fazl on Wednesday against the backdrop of reports concerning the possibility of his involvement as a mediator between the two sides.

In practice, the hours-long negotiations between the administration and the opposition concluded in a deadlock on Sunday during a second round of discussions. The session at Parliament House began on Saturday afternoon and continued into the wee hours of Sunday, with discussions focusing on the PTI's protest march.

After the discussions collapsed, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of "sabotaging" the negotiations, saying that he had changed the draft of the agreement despite what had been agreed to earlier.

Nevertheless, PTI leaders, presenting the opposition's stance on the failed negotiations, declared that reconciliation with the administration was not feasible without including incarcerated party founder Imran Khan in the dialogue process. According to They, another reason for the failure of the negotiations was that the administration was not willing to pursue a collective strategy against terrorism.

And after the breakdown of the negotiations, the PTI introduced its long march.

Taken together, the developments around pTI' s ' doors are open' to Fazl' s offer to play a role in point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.