Attaullah Tarar denies any government “deal” with Imran Khan

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly rejected media reports suggesting any “deal” between the government and jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

In a statement shared on X, Tarar said: “There is no deal or leniency for Imran. » He added that any suggestion that the government would grant concessions to Imran Khan was “entirely false and misleading”.

Tarar concluded with, “Imran Khan is a convicted criminal and the news regarding his release is baseless. There is no truth in these news.”

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after convictions that he and the PTI say were politically motivated. Since his ouster in 2022 in a vote of no confidence, he has faced numerous cases, including state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, and appeals are underway. He denies any wrongdoing.

Tarar’s statement follows recent remarks by the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, who said attempts had been made to find a solution, but that Khan was not willing to accept “any deal.”

“He is not ready for any deal,” Sanaullah told a private news channel on Wednesday. “Two serious efforts were made, but not only did he refuse, but his demands were such that the present government could not meet them.”

Sanaullah explained that the first attempt involved Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur following the November 2024 protests. A second effort involved foreign people who met with Imran Khan, but he ultimately withdrew from any deal, according to Sanaullah.

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The remarks come after the Supreme Court was told that only 15% of Imran’s vision remained in his right eye. The information was conveyed to the apex court by PTI lawyer Salman Safdar, who quoted the former prime minister as saying that he had only 15 per cent vision left in his right eye following medical complications.

The development caused an outcry from opposition ranks, who criticized the government for allowing Khan’s health to deteriorate to this level.

Regarding the second effort to reach a deal, Sanaullah said he could not disclose all the details, but confirmed that some people had arrived from abroad and had links to Imran Khan. “They also met Imran Khan sahib, and according to my information, he initially agreed with them but later withdrew from the agreement,” Sanaullah added.

In January 2026, Sanaullah had noted that while the PTI leadership sought dialogue with the government, Imran Khan was opposed to such engagement.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary Barrister Danyal Chaudhry also dismissed reports of a “deal” with Khan, saying the former prime minister had sought concessions from the start. “We are ready to talk, but we will not accept any form of blackmail. The only justification for sending Imran Khan abroad for treatment would be if, God forbid, he suffers from a life-threatening illness that cannot be treated in the country,” Chaudhry said.