RAWALPINDI: As the ruling coalition and embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have officially entered dialogues, the latter sought government’s “timeframe” in connection with progress on their demands.
Talking to journalists outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, following a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, the former ruling party’s Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday said: “There should be progress on our demands within [a specified] time frame.”
“Dialogues should be held within [a specified] timeframe,” he said, quoting the incarcerated PTI founder, who has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I — one of the dozens cases registered against the former premier since his ouster from power in April 2022.
The development came a day after the ruling coalition and the PTI came to table to defuse political tensions in the cash-strapped country. Negotiating committees, formed by the government and the PTI, conducted their much-hyped meeting in a conducive environment and resolved to continue dialogue process.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the meeting, had said that the next session will be held on January 2 and PTI’s team would present a charter of their demands in the huddle.
During his interaction with journalists today, the PTI chairman said that he briefed Khan on their talks with the government. “It was a routine meeting that lasted for half an hour.”
The PTI founder expressed his satisfaction over initiating the negotiation process, he added.
Gohar expressed hope that the government would address their legitimate demands.
Responding to a question, the PTI chairman said that matters related to the civil disobedience movement were not discussed in the meeting.
Earlier this month, the PTI founder had warned the government of launching a “civil disobedience” movement if his demands — the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and a late-night crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26, were not met.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be launched from December 14,” the jailed former premier had said. Later, he, on PTI leaders’ request, differed the movement to give talks a chance.
Responding to a question, the PTI chairman said that three members of their negotiation team — PTI MNA Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Senator Raja Nasir Abbas of the Majlis Wehdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) — attended the yesterday’s meeting.
It is pertinent to mention here that PTI’s four key leaders — Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and Hamid Khan — skipped the meeting, a move that raised questions over the former ruling party’s seriousness towards the talks.
The PTI leader said that they had already informed the speaker about the “unavailability” of the team members.
Rejecting the perception that the PTI leaders were not willing to attend the meeting, he said the KP CM could not attend the session due to cabinet meeting, Hamid was in Bangladesh and Omar had to appear before the Peshawar High Court (PHC) in connection with his bail.
Terming the yesterday’s session “informal meeting”, the PTI leader said that they would present their charter of demand before the government’s team in next round of talks.
He also expressed hope for a “breakthrough” in the meeting with the coalition government.
“We hope that the negotiations with the government will turn out to be fruitful.”
All the FIRs against Khan were “politically motivated”, the PTI chairman said, adding that the jailed ex-premier had been granted bail in all the cases.
