Both the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday categorically rejected reports of an alleged offer to the party to reconstitute the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure smooth functioning of democracy.
The categorical denunciations came after journalist Mohammad Mallick claimed a day ago in his show “Khabar Muhammad Malick Kay Saath” that a “firm and final” offer had been made to the PTI to help make democracy functional in the country.
According to Mallick, two decisions were taken at the “highest level” and conveyed to the party, including the PTI’s return to parliament and committees, participation in parliamentary proceedings and the granting of a “functional form of democracy” in return for promising that the ECP would be reconstituted and laws amended to make the next elections free and fair. Moreover, the government was ready to hold elections a year ahead of schedule, Mallick had said.
However, government and PTI leaders have rejected these claims as incorrect. In an article on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar called the reports “absolutely false.”
He added: “I don’t know how these stories are cooked up every few days. Strongly debunked.”
Furthermore, the Minister of State for Law and Justice, Barrister Aqeel, also supported his cabinet colleague’s statement.
“This is absolutely ‘fake news’ – no such offer has been made! I urge you to double-check with ‘sources’ from whom you may claim to have obtained this false information.”
He added: “The only offer made so far has been ‘talks’ between political parties and nothing else, without conditions and/or preconditions. Therefore, we must refrain from saying things that are not correct.”
This is absolutely “fake news” – no such offer has been made! I urge you to double-check with the “sources” from which you may claim to have obtained this false information. The only offer made so far has been that of “talks” between political parties and nothing else…
– Lawyer Aqeel Malik (@BrAqeelMalik) January 29, 2026
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also dismissed any suggestion of government offer while speaking at a press conference at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House, calling it a false narrative.
“It was said yesterday that the government had proposed to us that elections should be held in two years and that we had to accept these conditions, otherwise no. This is completely false, nothing like that happened. These are just rumours,” he said.
