Ani |
Update date: December 24, 2024 05:36 IST
Islamabad (Pakistan): Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of a government committee, on Monday, said that they had agreed to consult former PM during negotiations with the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf. As reported by Geo News, PTI has demanded to consult imprisoned party founder Imran Khan.
The PTI and the government have started the negotiation process at the Parliament House in Islamabad, “hoping for a positive outcome” aimed at easing political tensions in the country.
“People want peace and democratic norms rather than anarchy and economic instability in this country,” Siddiqui told the Geo News program.
Mr Siddiqui clarified that the government was not involved in the judicial matter regarding the postponement of judgment in the £190m Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and his wife.
“The government has nothing to do with judicial matters and excludes any connection with the ongoing negotiation process,” he insisted.
He added that the next round of consultations is scheduled for January 2, with mutual consultation between the two committees. Siddiqui said both committees would meet again to continue the dialogue process.
He also confirmed that both sides had agreed to hold talks in private and avoid making public statements that could disrupt negotiations. “We want a logical conclusion to the talks. We have told the (PTI) to present its demands in the form of a charter of demands,” he said.
However, Siddiqui was careful to avoid making any promises about the outcome of the talks at this early stage. He said the government could not give any guarantees at this time, but would consider PTI’s request once it is presented in writing, Geo News reported.
“A government committee made up of senior members with expertise in constitutional and legal issues will consider options at the request of the former ruling party,” he added.
Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, head of the Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), also shared his thoughts on the negotiations. Speaking on the same program, Prime Minister Abbas expressed optimism about the ongoing talks, saying, “We witnessed many positive things in the talks convened by the current government.”
He praised the establishment of the PTI negotiating committee and criticized the government for delaying the establishment of its own dialogue committee. According to Abbas, it was important to set up a meeting between Imran Khan and the PTI negotiating team to ensure a positive direction for the negotiations. “There is a need to arrange a meeting between the PTI committee and Imran that would indicate a positive approach by the government,” he stressed.
Prime Minister Abbas also urged the government to make the most of the opportunities presented by these talks to address Pakistan’s political conflicts.
The meeting was attended by key figures including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, and Senator Irfan Siddiqui. Opposition representatives included former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittihad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and MWM’s Rajah Nasir Abbas. The PTI committee was comprised of other senior members, some of whom were unable to attend the meeting, Geo News reported.
After the first round of discussions, PTI promised to submit its demands in writing to the government committee. (Ani)
