US-based group fails to secure meeting with Imran or top officials

• Group in contact with Gandapur, Aleema Khan.
• Earlier meetings with Khan were trouble-free.
• Visit highlights deepening PTI-establishment rift.

The delegation, which arrived in Pakistan last week, had hoped to secure a meeting with the jailed former prime minister at Adiala Jail and engage in quiet diplomacy aimed at exploring potential relief for Khan amid his ongoing legal and political troubles. However, their efforts have so far met with no success.

According to sources, the group was initially scheduled to return to the United States on Saturday (today) but is likely to extend its stay in Pakistan in a last-ditch attempt to secure the much-anticipated meetings.

The group believes that Imran Khan is aware of their presence and may be willing to meet them, although no official communication has confirmed the possibility. They are trying to meet Khan but without any success so far.

This delegation has a history of behind-the-scenes engagement with both Khan and senior government figures during a previous trip a few months ago. 

At that time, they held what were described as trouble-free meetings with Khan and a top official in Islamabad. The contrast during the current visit has been stark, as the group has not been able to connect with any key figures in the capital.

Sources suggest that the delegation is in contact with some PTI leaders including PTI's Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Aleema Khan.

The group’s attempts at facilitating reconciliation between Khan and the establishment bear no fruits due to the prevailing political atmosphere and unending tensions between PTI and the country’s establishment.

The military leadership, which has reiterated its position of not engaging directly with political parties, is seen as unimpressed with PTI’s continued confrontational stance. 

Persistent criticism of the military establishment, aggressive online campaigns, and international lobbying — particularly by PTI's overseas chapters in the United States and the United Kingdom — have further complicated matters.

The sources said that the visiting businessmen and doctors even believe that the party's hardline approach has reduced space for constructive engagement.

With no meeting scheduled and no indication of progress, the delegation's visit shows the widening gulf between PTI and the establishment. Their extended stay in Pakistan suggests continued hope for reconciliation, but for now, the impasse persists.

Originally published in The News