Summary
- ISLAMABAD: The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resumed political negotiations on Saturday with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chairing the second round of discussions as the October 4 PTI march approaches.
- However, Qaiser said PTI remained committed to negotiations and wanted the political dispute to be resolved peacefully.
- Qaiser said disagreements were normal during negotiations and stressed that PTI’s political and core committees were being consulted throughout the dialogue.
ISLAMABAD: The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resumed political negotiations on Saturday with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chairing the second round of discussions as the October 4 PTI march approaches.
The Speaker said the previous meeting had taken place in a positive and cordial environment. He expressed hope that representatives from all sides would maintain the same atmosphere during the latest session and thanked the government Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and opposition representatives for taking part.
The government delegation included Federal Ministers Amir Muqam and Mushtaq Raza Naqvi Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah. The PPP was represented by Senator Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar and Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani.
The negotiations follow the first round held a day earlier during which the participants exchanged views on the country’s political situation. No final agreement was reached but the parties reportedly avoided personal attacks in line with an understanding reached during the talks.
PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai welcomed reports suggesting progress in the dialogue. He said successful negotiations should not be viewed as a victory for one political side arguing instead that resolving political differences through talks would benefit the country.
Yousafzai also urged the federal government to cooperate with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa administration in efforts to tackle terrorism and improve security. He said the imposition of Governor’s Rule could have had serious consequences and expressed hope that PTI would be given sufficient political space.
He further said he expected court rulings involving PTI founder Imran Khan to be implemented according to the law.
Khawaja Asif raises allegations
The talks were accompanied by a fresh exchange between the government and PTI.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif questioned whether PTI and the K-P government were facilitating individuals allegedly involved in unrest ahead of the October 4 protest. He referred to social media material concerning vehicles from Waziristan and raised questions about security arrangements surrounding the planned movement.
Asif also questioned whether weapons or explosives could be transported in vehicles travelling with the protest convoy and asked who was financing the reported expenses associated with the participants.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser criticised the defence minister’s remarks describing the tone of his statement as inappropriate. However, Qaiser said PTI remained committed to negotiations and wanted the political dispute to be resolved peacefully.
Qaiser said disagreements were normal during negotiations and stressed that PTI’s political and core committees were being consulted throughout the dialogue.
The latest talks are taking place against the backdrop of PTI’s planned October 4 long march, which was previously scheduled for September 27. The political standoff between the federal and K-P governments remains unresolved.
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