Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram criticized the government and alleged that its inflexibility caused the negotiations to collapse, Express News reported. At a press conference on Thursday, Akram said, “Talks have stalled due to the stubbornness of the government. We are asked to put our demands in writing, but we have never backed down from our position.” He pointed out that PTI founder Imran Khan, despite facing what he described as government repression, had expanded the scope of dialogue. “Our demand is simple: give us access to our chairman,” he said. Akram said Khan was denied contact with his legal team and supporters for three and a half months. “Not even lawyers are allowed to meet him,” he added. He accused the government of not taking the party’s demands seriously, despite their commitment to constructive engagement. Akram noted that Khan had insisted on the formation of a judicial commission during the third round of talks with the government. “How can they handle the big demands when they can’t even get to a single meeting with our committee and Khan?” he asked. Akram condemned Khan’s treatment in prison, calling it inhumane and inadequate. “He was placed in a dead cell designed for terrorists, with no access to television, washrooms or visiting rights,” he said, saying the facility’s claims were false. He also pointed out that the court ordered the government to allow Khan to communicate with his children, a directive that was not followed. In comparison, Akram criticized the preferential treatment given to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif during his imprisonment. “At Adiala Jail, Nawaz was asked about his preferences for lunch and dinner,” he noted. He mocked the government’s fears, saying: “Do you sleep worrying about what will happen when our president is released?”
