PTI, govt break the ice after prolonged frosty ties, will again meet on Jan 2
Pakistan
The National Assembly Secretariat has issued a notification of meeting
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chairs in-camera meeting at Parliament House
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently formed eight-member committee for talks
PTI has prepared draft of demands for negotiations
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The first round of negotiations between the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was held on Monday.
The in-camera meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was held in Committee Room 5 of the Parliament House, with seven members from the government and three from PTI participating.
Government representatives included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Irfan Siddiqui, Rana Sanaullah, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Abdul Aleem Khan, and Farooq Sattar.
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PTI members present were Asad Qaiser, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
However, some PTI leaders such as Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Hamid Khan, and Salman Akram Raja did not attend.
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The huddle discussed modalities of the negotiation and deliberated on PTI demands. The participants, however, unanimously decided to take the dialogue ahead and put off the meeting till Jan 2, 2025 due to unavailability of PTI's key leaders either due to preoccupation in courts or being abroad.
Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub and Salman Akram Raja failed to turn up at the maiden meeting.
Ayaz Sadiq said the talks had been initiated in a spirit of accommodation and should be taken forward with mutual cooperation. He said both sides should tread carefully and avoid any controversial statements.
Irfan Siddiqui read out the details of meeting's proceedings.
In his opening remarks, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq welcomed the members, calling the negotiations between the government and opposition a positive sign for democracy.
He emphasised that such dialogues strengthened democratic processes and helped resolve political issues.
Sadiq urged both sides to focus on resolving the public’s problems and improving the country's political and economic stability.
Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government's committee, expressed optimism, stating that they were entering into the talks with high hopes for positive results that would benefit the people of Pakistan.
On the other hand, PTI's Omar Ayub said they would observe the government's intentions during the discussions.
MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui emphasised the importance of dialogue to understand the way forward.
Meanwhile, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stressed that the government had one last chance to resolve the situation and stated the talks would reflect the true intentions of the government.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza highlighted that while the PTI was open to negotiations, they would not back down from their demands, including the release of political prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently formed an eight-member committee for the talks. The committee comprises Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Abdul Aleem Khan, and Chaudhry Salik Hussain.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar welcomed the formation of the government’s negotiation committee. PTI’s negotiation team comprises Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser.
Continue reading: PTI prepares draft for demands for talks with government
The PTI has also prepared a draft of demands for the negotiations. The draft includes a list of over 5,000 political prisoners, with former prime minister Imran Khan’s name at the top.
Key demands include the release of political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 and Nov 26 incidents.
The PTI has proposed that the judicial commission be composed of three senior judges from the Supreme Court.
Also read: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq invites govt, PTI committees for crucial talks
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq invited government and PTI negotiation committee members to a meeting on Monday.
