ISLAMABAD: A quietly held meeting between senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has triggered a debate of possible back channel contacts between the opposition party and powers that be and also raised questions over internal communication and coordination within the party after it emerged that party founding chairman Imran Khan’s family had no prior knowledge of the engagement.

A post circulating on X on Sunday initially claimed that Imran’s sister Aleema Khan was present during a meeting involving PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi with the interior minister.

Aleema Khan swiftly rejected the claim on X, clarifying that no member of Imran Khan’s family was present at the meeting and that the family had not been informed beforehand. Her denial, however, inadvertently confirmed the meeting’s existence, setting off a chain of queries that brought the encounter into public focus.

Rumours regarding a meeting between Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and the interior minister at the former’s residence had been circulating for several days, although neither PTI nor Barrister Gohar had confirmed it during that period.

The matter remained publicly unaddressed until Aleema Khan’s statement brought it into the spotlight, after which Sohail Afridi’s name also surfaced in connection with the meeting and was later acknowledged by PTI’s senior leadership in response to queries.

Diplomag reached out to Barrister Gohar Ali Khan for confirmation of the reported meeting and its agenda. He confirmed that the meeting had taken place and reiterated that no member of Imran Khan’s family was present. However, he did not respond to further questions regarding the agenda or detailed points of discussion.

Separately, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas said he had personally contacted Barrister Gohar, who confirmed the meeting and the presence of Sohail Afridi. He stated that the meeting took place on May 14 and was strictly related to law and order matters, including the Bannu security situation and broader public order concerns.

He further said that Imran Khan’s family was not informed about the meeting as the matter did not concern them, adding that Barrister Gohar, as part of the party’s senior leadership, was authorised to engage in such discussions. According to him, participants maintained that the discussion remained limited to security and public order issues.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, in a post on X while quote-tweeting Aleema Khan, also confirmed that his meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was held in relation to recent terrorist incidents in Bannu and the broader law and order situation in the province. He categorically stated that no political discussion took place during the meeting, adding that reports suggesting otherwise were incorrect.

The Bannu security context cited by Afridi is grounded in a recent and serious incident. On the night of May 9, five days before the meeting took place, a devastating attack struck a police outpost in Bannu district when an explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into the post, followed by a coordinated assault involving heavy weaponry and drones.

The attack was claimed by Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a newly emerged armed group. In the days that followed, a joint operation by the Pakistan Army, police and Counter Terrorism Department was launched in the area, killing 16 terrorists including two commanders. It is against this immediate backdrop that PTI representatives have described the May 14 meeting as being focused on law and order and security coordination.

While the K-P chief minister’s clarification addressed the nature of the meeting, the development has nevertheless drawn attention in political circles due to questions surrounding its timing and the limited public awareness around it.

The development comes against the backdrop of prolonged concerns over Imran Khan’s health during his incarceration at Adiala Jail.

Khan was taken to PIMS on a few occasions in recent months for treatment of a deteriorating eye condition, with his legal team filing petitions in the Islamabad High Court seeking access to specialist care and the presence of his personal physicians.

A follow-up examination by a joint medical board in March reported improvement in his condition, though the family disputed the government’s assessment and insisted no medical decisions should be taken without their consent.

The episode has also drawn renewed attention to a recurring tension between the Khan family and the party’s senior leadership over internal communication and consultation.

In February, Aleema Khan publicly rebuked the party leadership over its handling of the medical situation, objecting to what she described as decisions taken without the family’s knowledge.

Gohar himself acknowledged a communication gap within the leadership at the time, while stressing that efforts for Imran Khan’s release remained coordinated.

The latest episode in which a meeting with the interior minister was held and only came to light through a social media post appears to reflect that same unresolved tension.

QUETTA: At least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and several others critically injured in a terrorist attack near the Chaman Phatak area of Quetta, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Sunday.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians, which included women, children, and ordinary passengers among the affected, highlights how these elements intentionally attack soft civilian targets to spread fear and instability rather than confront the state directly,” the military’s media wing added.

It stated that the attack “reflects the desperation of anti-Pakistan terrorist proxies seeking to disturb peace and create panic through indiscriminate violence against innocent people during a period of improving stability and normalcy.”

According to the ISPR, security forces and law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the site, cordoned off the area, initiated investigations, and are actively pursuing all facilitators and perpetrators involved in the attack.

Further, the media wing stated that the martyrdom of the FC personnel while protecting civilians “reinforces the continued sacrifices being rendered by Pakistan’s security forces to safeguard public life against externally backed terrorist violence.”

Concluding the statement, the ISPR stated that such attacks cannot weaken public resolve, as the people of Pakistan, particularly the citizens of Balochistan, continue to reject terrorism and stand with the state and security institutions against enemies of peace and stability.

According to police, the explosion occurred at approximately 8:15am near Chaman Phatak when a train was passing through the area. Railway officials said terrorists targeted the train, causing a fire to erupt in one of the bogies.

Fire brigade and rescue teams reached the site and initiated relief operations, while the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital, BMC, and other trauma centres where an emergency was declared.

According to authorities, women and children remain among those injured, while the condition of five injured persons is said to be critical.

According to sources, most of the passengers aboard the train were travelling to their native areas for the Eidul Azha holidays.

The explosion was so intense that the windows of nearby buildings and residential flats were shattered, while several vehicles also caught fire. According to police, a husband, wife, and their 13-year-old daughter residing in a nearby flat were also martyred in the explosion. Eyewitnesses said the sound of the blast was heard from far away, after which severe panic spread throughout the area.

Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to determine the nature of the explosion. Checkpoints have been established at the city’s entry and exit points, and the checking process has been further tightened.

Further, train service on the affected track has been suspended, while railway heavy machinery remains engaged in clearing debris and restoring the track so that movement can be resumed as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reached Quetta following the attack, chairing a special meeting alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Interior Ministry announced on X.

According to the ministry, during the meeting, the inspector general of Balochistan police presented an initial report on the blast. Law enforcement officers were also present in the meeting.

“The meeting strongly condemned the cowardly attack on innocent people,” the ministry wrote. In a separate post, it added that CM Bugti expressed his gratitude to Naqvi, saying that the interior minister has stood with Balochistan in every difficult time.

“We are indebted to the blood of the martyrs,” Bugti said. He also noted that the families of the martyrs will not be abandoned.

Further, the CM stated that he is personally overseeing the treatment and care of those injured.

President Asif Ali Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the terrorist attack and vowed decisive defeat of the perpetrators and their networks.

Expressing deep grief over the loss of innocent lives, President Zardari said such acts of terrorism are aimed at harming the people of Pakistan and diverting attention from the country’s efforts for global peace, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.

President Zardari stated that “elements hostile to Pakistan are attempting to undermine our initiatives that serve broader humanitarian objectives, global peace and progress,” adding that “terrorists and their patrons are also seeking to disrupt Pakistan’s focus on stability and development.”

The president noted that “there should be no doubt that Pakistan will defeat terrorists, their facilitators, financiers and those providing them safe havens,” adding that the country would “thwart every conspiracy against peace, stability and national security.”

Further, President Zardari stated that Pakistan will “neither forget nor forgive the terrorists and their patrons.”

Stating that the blood of the martyrs will not go in vain and every drop will be accounted for, he urged the world to recognise the true face of terrorists and their patrons who are attempting, unsuccessfully, to derail Pakistan’s global peace efforts.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the “heinous bomb explosion,” stating, “Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan.”

In a post on X, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed, “We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

The premier also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, praying for the swift recovery of those injured.

“The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief,” PM Shehbaz concluded his statement.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned “the savage act of terrorism,” extending heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.

DPM Dar also paid tribute to the first responders, police, armed forces, rescue, and health personnel for their courage and efforts in assisting those affected.

“We stand in complete solidarity with the people of Balochistan at this difficult time,” he said, adding that those responsible for this cowardly attack against innocent civilians will be brought to justice.

“Such heinous acts cannot and will not weaken Pakistan’s resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” DPM Dar concluded.

Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack, saying that the “terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children.”

He added, “Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency.”

CM Bugti also issued a warning to terrorist elements in the region, saying “Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.”

CM Adviser Shahid Rind

Adviser to the Chief Minister Balochistan for Political and Media Affairs Shahid Rind said terrorists carried out a cowardly act by targeting unarmed civilians, women, and children. He added that attacks on public places are proof of the terrorists’ panic and that the blood of the martyrs will not go in vain.

Rind noted that CM Bugti is personally monitoring the situation.

Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar

Further, according to Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, an emergency has been declared at all major hospitals in the city, while doctors, paramedical staff, and medical personnel are providing medical assistance to the injured.

Governor K-P Faisal Karim Kundi

Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in “this heinous act of terrorism.”

“Such attacks by anti-state elements cannot and will not shake Pakistan’s resolve or disturb our pursuit of peace and stability,” Kundi said in a statement on X. He added, “We remain resolute, united, and firmly standing shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in the complete eradication of terrorism from our homeland.”

CM K-P Sohail Afridi

Chief Minister K-P Sohail Afridi also expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to those martyred in the “cowardly act of terrorism.” He added that the attack was “a serious crime against humanity.”

“Targeting innocent civilians reflects open brutality and the failed mindset of anti-peace elements,” the chief minister stated.

“Terrorism is not a challenge for any single province or region but a shared challenge for the entire country,” he said, noting that a joint and sustained strategy is essential for the complete eradication of terrorism.

CM Afridi noted that the government and people of K-P stand with the people of Balochistan, offering prayers for the elevated ranks of the martyrs and for the speedy recovery of those injured.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq strongly denounced the deadly explosion and expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of innocent lives, the National Assembly wrote on X.

Sadiq extended heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families, expressing full solidarity with them in this hour of immense sorrow, the National Assembly said.

The speaker further stated that “targeting innocent civilians is a shameful and cowardly act that stands in complete contradiction to the principles of humanity and the teachings of all religions.”

According to the post, Sadiq “reiterated that such heinous acts of terrorism cannot shake the resolve of the nation, which remains firmly committed to peace, stability, and the complete eradication of terrorism from the country.”

The speaker also emphasised, according to the National Assembly, that the nation will always stand shoulder to shoulder with its Armed Forces in their efforts to fully eliminate terrorism in all its forms.

Sadiq offered prayers for those martyred and for the swift recovery of those injured. He also prayed for strength, patience, and courage for the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss, the post concluded.