ISLAMABAD:
Sparks flew in the National Assembly on Monday as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) clashed over pressing issues ahead of the third round of talks, scheduled for January 16. .
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif questioned the sincerity of the former ruling party, casting doubt on the prospects for meaningful dialogue and the need to continue dialogue.
The heated exchanges between the two sides began when NA opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan expressed concern over the government’s inaction on critical issues, including the alleged killing of 13 people by sniper fire on November 26 in the Blue Area, Islamabad, for which the commission has not been formed so far.
The opposition leader also alleged that those detained on May 9 in military custody had been subjected to severe torture.
In a pointed comment, he asked if ministers were drafting judgments in the £190m corruption reference against PTI founder Imran Khan, his wife and others, while commenting on the case despite sentencing being adjourned for the third time. time. He wonders if the ministers would have written the sentence.
Speaking on another issue, Ayub criticized the government’s priorities, noting that a case related to Al-Qadir University had been filed. He said Khan built universities and hospitals, arguing that investigations should focus on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s Avenfield apartments located in London.
In response, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticized the opposition for using question time in the assembly to make speeches instead of raising substantive issues. The Defense Minister questioned whether negotiations with the opposition were even possible due to their behaviour, adding: “I am often accused of opposing negotiations, but how can negotiations take place under such behaviour?”
While questioning the sincerity of the opposition’s intention to negotiate, the Defense Minister argued that its conduct made constructive dialogue difficult. Asif said the government will not bow to pressure and asked the opposition to address their concerns through proper channels.
He further stated that for Parliament to function, it must do so in accordance with the established rules. Asif added that neither the government nor anyone else should succumb to the opposition’s blackmail, stating that “his [opposition’s] The intentions are not genuine.”
He recalled that the PTI until a few days ago questioned the government’s authority to hold talks, rebuking the opposition that if it wanted to talk to the powerful actor it should go ahead.
During the session, members of the Sunni Ittehad Council, under whose banner PTI legislators attend Parliament, staged continuous protests. They shouted slogans of “Ooooo, oooo,” imitating a phrase recently used by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a speech to describe certain protesters.
Meanwhile, PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi attempted to disrupt the proceedings pointing out lack of quorum, but the required number of members were found present, allowing the session to continue. The session then continued as the government and opposition continued to exchange barbs.
The fight in NA came immediately after the government and opposition accused each other of delaying talks.
In the first two meetings between the government and the PTI, the government demanded that the PTI submit its demands in writing before any progress could be made. While the PTI verbally outlined its key demands – the release of party founder Imran Khan, detained workers and supporters and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 and November 26 incidents – the government remained indifferent.
The PTI, in turn, informed the government that finalizing its charter of demands was impossible without Imran Khan’s input. The lack of a meeting between Khan and the PTI negotiating committee became a major sticking point, prolonging the deadlock. This impasse persisted for days until January 12, when the PTI committee was finally granted permission to meet the party chief at Adiala jail.
Although talks began on December 23 with the aim of resolving contentious issues, negotiations have yet to move beyond the optical.
Meanwhile, NA President Sardar Ayaz Sadiq called the third meeting of the government and PTI negotiating committees on January 16 (Thursday). The NA Secretariat has issued a notification for the meeting of the negotiating committees where PTI will present its written letter of demands during the meeting.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the meeting of the negotiating committees of the government and the PTI will take place on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Parliament. Initially, the meeting date of the negotiating committees was January 15, but later changed to January 16 at the request of members.
