_updates.jpg)
In what could be called a breakthrough amid soaring political temperatures and threats of civil disobedience motion, the government and the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday night agreed to use parliamentary forum for unconditional negotiations, sources told Geo News.
The development came during a meeting between National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and top PTI leaders including Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza at the Speaker House in Islamabad.
Following the key meeting, embattled PTI and the government have agreed to sit on the negotiation table without any preconditions.
The meeting was held following a telephonic contact between Qaiser and Sadiq, the sources added.
“The government has accepted the PTI’s dialogue offer to create an atmosphere of reconciliation [in the country],” said the government sources.
“PTI [leadership] approached the government for dialogue,” the sources said, adding that the former ruling party backtracked from its pre-talk demands.
The government source was of the view that they always advocated for political dialogue to settle issues.
“Dialogue is the sole way forward in politics,” the sources said, quoting the government officials.
The former ruling party formed a five-member negotiation committee comprising Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser last week.
The Khan-founded party demands the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and a late-night crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26.
Following the apparent failure of the PTI “do-or-die” protest, the incarcerated party founder had warned the government of launching a “civil disobedience” movement if his demands were not met.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be launched from December 14,” the jailed former premier had said, adding that the government would be responsible for the results of this movement. However, late the party founder deferred the civil disobedience to
Talking to journalists outside Parliament House, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza said that dialogues were the mandate of the five-member committee.
When asked if the government approached the PTI for talks, Raza said: “Some matters are entrusted; Omar Ayub will respond to this question.”
He said that they were open for talks.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram said: “Informal discussion does not mean that negotiations have begun.”
Formal talks between the government and PTI have not begun, he added.
The well informed sources said that the ruling alliance is yet to form a committee to engage PTI as the Khan-founded party did not make a formal contact seeking negotiation.
PPP, a key ally of the PML-N in the Centre, was also unaware of the fresh development.
The government sources said that the negotiation with the PTI would be subject to nod from President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif.
Reacting to the fresh development, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the NA speaker had formed a negotiation committee in the past, adding that the same committee would hold talks with the PTI.
“No negotiation, no success sans PPP,” said sources within Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led party.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that his party did not formally approach the government for negotiations.
‘No formal negotiations with PTI’
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar ruled out the initiation of formal negotiation between the PTI and the government.
“I don’t think that trust deficit [between the PTI and government] can be reduced unless the matter of May 9 and November 26 is settled,” he said while referring to the PTI’s violent protests.
“Who will trust PTI for talks,” the minister said asking who will be the guarantor of the former ruling party with regards to the talks with the government.
“They [PTI] should first express remorse over May 9 [2023] and November 26 events,” he added.
However, Tarar said the informal talks with the PTI take place in parliament and other forums but no mechanism has been formed for formal talks with the opposition party.
