Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has signaled that the party may revoke its long-delayed call for civil disobedience if the government shows seriousness in addressing its demands during the ongoing negotiations.
Speaking to a local news channel on Wednesday, Akram highlighted that PTI founder Imran Khan has given firm instructions to the party leaders not to relent on two main demands: the release of all political prisoners, including the Khan himself, and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the case. The May 9 riots and the November 26 incident.
Furthermore, he said, Khan has directed Akram, President Barrister Gohar and General Secretary Salman Akram Raja to take up global issues during these talks. After months of intense political tensions, the PTI and government representatives convened their first round of dialogue on Monday.
The government delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Advisor Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, and MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar. Representing the PTI were former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
During the meeting, the government accepted the PTI’s demand to consult Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned in Adiala jail for more than a year. The party will present its demands in writing in the next round of negotiations, scheduled for January 2.
PTI leaders have insisted on a government “deadline” to advance their demands. “There should be progress on our demands within [a specified] deadline,” lawyer Gohar stressed while addressing journalists outside Adiala Jail after a meeting with Khan.
On the other hand, Adviser to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for Information, Advocate Mohammad Ali Saif, expressed skepticism over the seriousness of the talks. He commented: “There is activity being carried out in the name of negotiations. However, we do not see any apparent relief regarding the PTI. [so far]”.
Saif also criticized the federal government for politicizing the Kurram tribal clashes, which have claimed more than 200 lives since July. He lamented the lack of federal support and stated: “In fact, it is our [K-P govt’s] domain, but if the federal government had also contributed, it would have led to the matter being resolved in a better way.
He warned that if talks remain superficial, political tensions will persist, adding: “If they are conducted in a non-serious manner, as has been their behavior in the past, then tensions will continue.”
