RAWALPINDI: As the ruling coalition and the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) officially launched dialogue, the latter sought the government’s “deadline” regarding the progress of its demands.
Speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, former ruling party president Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Tuesday: “There should be progress on our demands within [a specified] period of time.”
“Dialogues must be held within [a specified] term,” he said, citing the jailed PTI founder, who has been behind bars since August last year after being sentenced in the Toshakhana-I case, one of dozens of cases registered against the former prime minister since his ouster from the power in April 2022.
The development came a day after the ruling coalition and the PTI met to calm political tensions in the cash-strapped country. The negotiating committees, formed by the government and the PTI, held their much-publicized meeting in a conducive atmosphere and resolved to continue the dialogue process.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who chaired the meeting, said that the next session will be held on January 2 and the PTI team will present a letter of their demands in the meeting.
During his interaction with reporters today, the PTI chairman said he briefed Khan about his talks with the government. “It was a routine meeting that lasted half an hour.”
The PTI founder expressed his satisfaction at initiating the negotiation process, he added.
Gohar expressed hope that the government would address their legitimate demands.
Replying to a question, the PTI president said that no issues related to the civil disobedience movement were discussed in the meeting.
Earlier this month, the PTI founder had warned the government to launch a “civil disobedience” movement if their demands – the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023 and a late-night crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26 did not come to fruition.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be launched from December 14,” said the imprisoned former prime minister. Later, at the request of the PTI leaders, he differentiated himself from the movement to give an opportunity to dialogue.
Replying to a question, the PTI chairman said that three members of his negotiation team – PTI MNA Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Majlis Wehdat Senator Raja Nasir Abbas – i-Muslimeen (MWM), attended yesterday’s meeting. meeting.
It is pertinent to mention here that the four key leaders of the PTI – party president Barrister Gohar, general secretary Salman Akram Raja, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly National, Omar Ayub Khan, did not attend the meeting. a move that raised questions about the former ruling party’s seriousness towards the talks.
The PTI leader said the speaker had already been informed about the “unavailability” of the team members.
Terming yesterday’s session as an “informal meeting”, the PTI leader said that they would present their demand letter before the government team in the next round of talks.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
