As negotiations between the treasury and opposition began to address political disputes, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government’s committee, announced on Monday that they had agreed to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) demand to consult Imran Khan, the party’s incarcerated founder, according to a Geo News report.
The PTI and government initiated the negotiation process at the Parliament House in Islamabad, expressing “hopes of a positive outcome” aimed at easing the country’s political tensions.
Speaking on a Geo News programme, Siddiqui stated, “People want peace and democratic norms rather than anarchy and economic instability in the country.”
Regarding the deferment of the verdict in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and his wife, Siddiqui clarified that the government was not involved in judicial matters.
“The government has nothing to do with the judicial matters, ruling out any connection with the ongoing negotiation process,” he asserted.
Siddiqui further added that the next round of talks, mutually agreed upon by both committees, is scheduled for January 2. He noted that both sides had agreed to maintain confidentiality during discussions and to avoid public statements that could disrupt the negotiation process.
“We want a logical conclusion of the talks. We told them [PTI] to present their demand in the shape of a charter of demand,” Siddiqui explained.
He refrained from making any promises about the outcome of the talks at this stage, stating that the government would consider PTI’s demands once they were presented in writing. “The government committee, comprising senior members who know the constitutional and legal matters, will mull over options after receiving the former ruling party’s demands,” he added.
Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, chief of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), also shared his perspective on the negotiations. Speaking on the same programme, Abbas expressed optimism about the ongoing dialogue, stating, “I have witnessed many positive things during the meeting summoned by the incumbent government.”
He lauded the formation of the PTI negotiation committee while criticising the government for delaying the creation of its own dialogue committee. Abbas emphasized the importance of arranging a meeting between Imran Khan and the PTI negotiation team to ensure positive progress.
“It is necessary to arrange a meeting between the PTI committee and Imran which would exhibit a positive approach by the government,” he stressed.
Abbas urged the government to seize the opportunity provided by the talks to address Pakistan’s political disputes effectively.
The meeting included key participants such as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, and Senator Irfan Siddiqui on behalf of the government. The opposition’s representation included former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and MWM’s Raja Nasir Abbas. PTI’s committee consisted of other high-ranking members, though some were unable to attend, as reported by Geo News.
Following the initial round of discussions, PTI committed to submitting its demands in writing to the government committee.
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