Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai on Tuesday criticized the government’s handling of negotiations, calling their approach immature and warning of potential consequences if talks fail.

In a video statement, Yousafzai disclosed that the PTI leadership had convinced party founder Imran Khan to delay a significant decision — such as launching a civil disobedience movement — to give negotiations a chance.

“We hoped the government would respond positively and engage with the opposition,” he stated. “However, the government’s behavior has been extremely childish. They seem to believe that PTI is weak and that’s why we are open to talks, but that is far from the truth.”

Yousafzai stressed PTI’s commitment to the country, explaining that the decision to finalize a date for the civil disobedience movement was put on hold due to the possibility of productive dialogue. He warned that if negotiations falter, Imran Khan could announce a new strategy, which might escalate political tensions.

“Any harm to Pakistan as a result of this will rest squarely on the government’s shoulders,” Yousafzai concluded.

The remarks come amid ongoing political deadlock and calls for dialogue between the government and opposition to resolve the current crisis.