Pakistan PM Sharif invites Imran Khan’s party for talks, urges it to call off long march
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited the opposition PTI party for renewed talks to resolve political tensions and prevent a planned long march to Islamabad. Negotiations previously collapsed over the opposition's demand for access to jailed former leader Imran Khan.
Why it matters
The ongoing political instability in Pakistan threatens to disrupt governance and could lead to civil unrest if the opposition's protest march proceeds.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) invited the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for talks to resolve contentious issues through dialogue, as he urged the party founded by jailed former premier Imran Khan to call off its long march to Islamabad.
Mr. Sharif issued the call for talks two days after the PTI launched its long march from Lakki Marwat town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with the intention to make it to the national capital in the coming days to give a sit-in to press the government to set Khan free.
Addressing a gathering in Islamabad, the Prime Minister said that unfortunately the “dreadful shadows” of long marches were moving again despite efforts to resolve the political issues through negotiations.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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