ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly refuted media reports suggesting a “deal” between the government and jailed Imran Khan, asserting that such claims were “entirely false and misleading.”
Read More: PTI says Imran won’t seek release through deal
Speaking on X, Tarar said, “There is neither any deal nor any leniency for Imran.” He added that the ex-prime minister, imprisoned since August 2023, was serving a 14-year sentence in a £190 million corruption case and had previously been convicted in another case involving state gifts. Khan also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests. “Imran Khan is a criminal convicted by courts, and the reports about leniency for him are baseless,” Tarar stressed.
وفاقی وزیرِ اطلاعات عطاء اللہ تارڑ کی میڈیا میں بانی پی ٹی آئی کی ڈیل کے حوالے سے خبروں کی سختی سے تردید
عمران خان کے حوالے سے نا کوئی ڈیل ہے اور نا ہی کوئی ڈھیل ہے۔ وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات
عمران خان کو کسی بھی قسم کی رعایت کا تاثر دینا بالکل غلط ہے۔ وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات
عمران…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) February 18, 2026
The clarification comes after Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said efforts were made to reach a solution with Imran, but the former PTI chief was “not ready for any deal.” Sanaullah described Imran as having a “non-political attitude” and being “stubborn,” adding that PTI supporters view him as “standing tall.”
According to Sanaullah, two serious efforts were made: one involving Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur following the November 2024 protests, and another effort involving intermediaries with links to Imran. He said Khan initially agreed to the second effort but later withdrew.
Read More: Naqvi dares Imran to name person behind ‘deal‘ offer
In January 2026, Sanaullah noted that PTI leaders were seeking dialogue, but Imran opposed it. Parliamentary Secretary Barrister Danyal Chaudhry also rejected claims of any deal, stating that while the government was open to talks, it would not accept blackmail. He added that the only reason for sending Imran abroad would be for life-saving medical treatment, citing reports of the former premier losing partial vision in his right eye.