In a major political development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and hailed his first engagement with the chief executive belonging to rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as “positive”.

He stated this while addressing a press conference flanked by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and other PML-N leaders following a meeting with the premier.

CM Gandapur, who belongs to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said he stressed the need to hold political dialogue with party incarcerated founder Imran Khan who has been behind bars since August last year in different cases ranging from corruption to terrorism.

“I have asked the prime minister to politically engage with Imran Khan. Political engagement will lead to a political solution,” he added.

Gandapur said PM Shehbaz had also assured him that he would be allowed to meet the party founder in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail where the authorities have beefed up security measures and barred ex-premier Imran from holding meetings owing to “threat alert”.

The KP CM said he told the premier that he had to hold a meeting with the party founder to discuss upcoming Senate polls.

Gandapur said he held discussion with the premier to resolve issues of the masses. “The prime minister has assured that all dues of province will be cleared,” he said describing his meeting as “good and positive”. 

Responding to a question related to PM Shehbaz’s recent visit to KP, Gandapur said he was not present in Peshawar during the PM’s visit.

“It’s our tradition that we take special care of guests,” the CM added.