Rawalpindi:
As talks hang by a thread, PTI founder Imran Khan on Saturday demanded a meeting with his party’s negotiating committee before the next round of talks, scheduled for January 28.
Speaking to party leaders during a meeting at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, the jailed PTI supremo asserted that the party’s final stance on dialogue would depend on consultations with the negotiation committee.
The air around the negotiations remains filled with uncertainty as PTI leaders send mixed signals. Just a day earlier, PTI president Advocate Gohar Ali Khan had claimed that the talks had only been put on hold, contradicting the party’s earlier statement about canceling the process altogether.
PTI had initially pumped the brakes on the dialogue, accusing the government of “non-cooperation” and procrastination in forming a judicial commission to investigate two key events: the violent protests of May 9, 2023 and the offensive of May 26. November against PTI workers in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz reiterated that PTI remains open to resuming talks, provided the government forms an independent commission.
He claimed, however, that the government was reluctant to let the truth come out. “If the government has nothing to hide, it has a golden opportunity to form the commission. Its inability to do so suggests that there is something fishy,” he said while talking to the media outside Adiala Jail.
He said the government had initially promised a decision within eight days, but then backtracked, claiming it had meant “eight working days”.
He stated that Pti
had entered into dialogue with sincerity, considering the country’s political and economic crises, as well as external and internal challenges.
Faraz lamented the government’s approach, accusing it of bad faith. “We put our demands in writing, but they never had the intention of seeking meaningful dialogue. They are more concerned with maintaining their status quo than addressing the nation’s concerns.”
PTI Legal Adviser Salman Akram Raja, while talking to the media, revealed that a detailed meeting had taken place with Imran Khan. Raja claimed that Khan remains unwavering in his stance and that PTI was engaging in negotiations only for the betterment of Pakistan.
“The government tried to weaken the PTI to the extent that it could not contest elections or campaigns. Despite this, the nation rose on February 8 and voted for us, not only in KP but throughout Pakistan.”
He alleged that the election results were manipulated, calling the Act “shameful” and lamented the lack of justice by the courts.
“Imran Khan gave the system a chance, but he has now made it clear: no negotiations will happen unless the commission is announced.”
He added that Imran was willing to meet the negotiation team, but only after the formation of the Commission.
“Who says that the bullets were not fired on November 26? People were martyred and others disappeared. We have all the data, and we will present it not only to the courts but also to the public,” he said.
Advocate Gohar Ali Khan, legal representative of PTI, also spoke to the media outside the court complex, lamenting the procedural delays in the formation of the commission.
