Government and PPP Name Six-Member Team for PTI Talks Before 4 October March

The federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have named a six-member joint team to hold talks with PTI. The decision came at a meeting of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Thursday 1 October 2026.

Radio Pakistan, the state broadcaster, reported the decision the same day, and we read its report. It said the team would meet the PTI leadership "tomorrow", which is Friday 2 October, to talk about the current political situation. PTI's chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, has said his party accepts the invitation, according to reports. The talks come three days before PTI's planned march on 4 October.

The President and Prime Minister decided on PTI talks on 1 October

President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met at Aiwan-e-Sadr on 1 October to discuss the political and security situation. Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting decided a joint federal government and PPP delegation would meet the PTI leadership the next day to hold talks.

Radio Pakistan listed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, adviser Rana Sanaullah and the Attorney General among those present. From the PPP came Senators Sherry Rehman and Saleem Mandviwalla, Sharjeel Memon and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

The participants also "expressed concern over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa", the report said. The President and the Prime Minister stressed cooperation between institutions to keep peace and stability.

Six people sit on the government and PPP team

The joint team has six members, three from the federal government and three from the PPP. Radio Pakistan named all six. The government side is led by ministers who handle security and politics, and the PPP side by senior parliamentarians.

The official report does not say what the team can offer, who leads it, or whether it has a written mandate. It also did not give a time or a place for the meeting. Reports say the talks are set for 12 noon on 2 October at the office of the National Assembly Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq. We could not confirm that on an official page.

PTI says it accepts the invitation, according to reports

PTI's chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, said the government sent him a message inviting PTI to a meeting, according to reports. He said PTI accepted the invitation in light of decisions taken at a meeting of the opposition parties. We found no statement on an official PTI page.

Reports also quote him saying that "Pakistan comes first and we will all remain peaceful". The same reports say he called the march announcement final.

Other opposition leaders have set out conditions, as reported. Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, was quoted as saying talks cannot happen "with the sword of a condition hanging over them". Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who heads the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), was reported as declining to meet in government offices.

So the two sides have agreed to sit down. They have not, in public, agreed on what the talks are about.

The 4 October march is still planned, as far as is known

PTI has not called off its march, as of the night of 1 October. Reports say it will start from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday 4 October and head for Islamabad. PTI says its demands are the release of its jailed founder and what it calls the restoration of constitutional supremacy.

The march was first expected on 27 September. In the days before that date, the authorities closed roads around Islamabad, and the M-1 and GT Road reopened only on 28 September. Reports said at the time that PTI had delayed the march to 4 October.

We found no official notice by 1 October night about road closures, mobile internet or Section 144 orders for 4 October. That can change quickly. In late September, Section 144 orders in Islamabad, Punjab and other places came with only a short warning.

Several things are still not known

Much about the talks is still unclear. No side has published an agenda, a list of demands, or a deadline. Nobody has said whether the march depends on the talks. Treat any claim of a deal, or of a collapse, with care until one side states it on the record.

Here is what we will look for after the 2 October meeting:

1. A joint or separate statement from the government team or PTI on what was discussed.
2. A second round. Whether the two sides agree to meet again before 4 October.
3. The march decision. Whether PTI confirms, delays or changes the 4 October plan.
4. Official orders. Any Section 144 order, road closure or mobile service notice for Islamabad, Rawalpindi or the motorways.
5. The KP angle. On 1 October, a jirga of tribal elders led by former Governor Shaukatullah Khan met Amir Muqam and offered to ease tensions between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal governments, Radio Pakistan reported.

If you plan to travel between Peshawar and Islamabad over the weekend, check if the motorway is open on the day, using the Motorway Police's own channels.

Common questions

Who is on the government team for PTI talks?

Mohsin Naqvi, Rana Sanaullah and Amir Muqam for the federal government, and Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar and Aijaz Jakhrani for the PPP, according to Radio Pakistan.

When will the talks take place?

Radio Pakistan said the team would meet the PTI leadership on the day after 1 October, which is 2 October. Reports give the time as 12 noon at the Speaker's office.

Has PTI accepted the talks?

Yes, according to reports. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party accepts the invitation. We did not find this on an official PTI page.

Is the PTI march on 4 October cancelled?

No, not as of 1 October night. Reports say PTI still plans to march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad on 4 October.

Are roads closed for the march?

We found no official closure notice for 4 October by 1 October night. Check the Motorway Police and your district administration before you travel.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 1 October 2026 at about 22:45 PKT. The meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, its decision, the attendees and the six team members are from Radio Pakistan's report of 1 October. The jirga offer is from a second Radio Pakistan report the same day. PTI's acceptance, the quotes from opposition leaders, the meeting time and venue, and the march details are as reported, because we could not read them on an official PTI or National Assembly page.