LAHORE:
Senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has announced that the government was willing to accommodate PTI’s demand for a timeframe in the ongoing negotiations after the former ruling party demanded a defined timeline.
Speaking to a private news channel the other day, Sanaullah said that the government was prepared to entertain such a request. “If they want to set a timeframe, they can, because then, the meetings will be held according to that timeline,” said the PM’s political aide.
However, he clarified, “It won’t be the case that we will accept all the demands they’d bring forward and vice versa. So, going back and forth on each point and demand, along with finding common ground, will inevitably take time”.
Sanaullah said that there was no urgency from the government’s side to expedite the talks. “There is no such thing from our side that this needs to be done immediately or talks need to take place daily,” he said.
“But if they want this to reach a result quickly, then there’s no resistance from our end. They can say what they need to, and then we’ll present our stance to them,” he added.
PTI’s relations with the government and establishment have worsened severely since Imran Khan’s incarceration last year in several cases. The party has frequently staged protests, which often turned violent amid state crackdowns.
Tensions peaked last month after PTI’s “Final Call” rally, which prompted calls to ban the party and spurred the formation of task forces to counter alleged “malicious campaigns.” PTI claims at least a dozen of its supporters were killed during this period, a claim the government denies.
In response to the turmoil, Imran Khan formed a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone,” signalling a softening stance among PTI lawmakers. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, acting on National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s advice, formed a committee comprising ruling coalition members to engage with the PTI.
The first round of dialogue was held on Monday, marking the beginning of the much-anticipated negotiations. It was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, and MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar.
The PTI delegation included former N ational Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
The talks concluded with the government agreeing to consult the incarcerated PTI founder, who has been imprisoned in Adiala Jail for over a year. PTI is now set to present its written demands in the next round of talks, scheduled for January 2.
Following a meeting with Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, Barrister Gohar told journalists that the PTI founder has insisted on a timeframe for progress on the party’s demands. “There should be progress on our demands within [a specified] timeframe,” Gohar said. The talks come after PTI announced last month that it would launch a civil disobedience movement if its demands were not met.
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