ISLAMABAD: The federal government has rejected the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan through an “executive order” and the former ruling party has set a “cut-off date” of January 31 to fulfill its demands. What is the repetition of .
Speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that the talks will be successful only when there is justice for all.
He reiterated PTI’s demands for the release of “political prisoners”, including Imran, and set up a judicial commission to investigate the incidents of 9 May 2023 and the crackdown on PTI protesters on 26 November. He further said that if these demands are not fulfilled, we will decide the future course of action.
To a question, Raja noted that January 31 was the “cut-off date” for talks and after that, his party would decide on the next course of action.
The statement came hours after the former ruling party and the government finally held a second round of talks, which National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said was held in a cordial atmosphere.
“In the previous meeting we had decided that the PTI would present its charter of demands, but the opposition demanded another meeting. [PTI founder] Imran Khan will prepare a list of demands and hopefully the next meeting will be held next week,” Sadiq said while talking to reporters after the end of the second round.
“The discussion ended with all the participants deciding to come together for the betterment of Pakistan. [and] He further said that economy, terrorism and other issues have to be discussed.
The meeting was chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly in the Constitution Committee Room of the Parliament House as he facilitated and guided the dialogue between the Finance and the Opposition.
Meanwhile, Assistant Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, welcomed the “positive statements” of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Raja during today’s meeting.
“The PTI committee wanted to take guidance from its founder,” he told Geo News’ program ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Saat’. He said that the government team did not set any conditions for the negotiations.
Referring to PTI’s demand for the release of its founder, Sanaullah said that he would question the former ruling party as to how such a demand could be made.
In response to a question, the PML-N leader said that the establishment neither asked nor stopped his party from holding talks. Even ISPR DG said that political parties should talk to each other.
Further, he rejected the government’s offer to release the jailed Imran, saying that no one has issued a statement about the PTI founder’s release within 15 days.
Joint Declaration
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, while reading out the joint declaration of the second round of talks on the first day, said that PTI’s Ayub and others presented their point of view in detail.
“That [PTI] He said that he demanded the release of Imran Khan and his workers and the formation of a judicial commission on the incidents of 9 May 2023 and 26 November.
Further, he said the opposition wants to meet the detained PTI founder to discuss the “Charter of Demands”. “That [PTI] He said that Imran had given permission to start this negotiation process… Imran’s guidance is necessary to continue this process in a positive manner.
Siddiqui noted that the opposition agreed to present the charter of demand in written form after consulting the party’s founder. During the meeting, he said that the government has no objection to the meeting of the PTI committee with the jailed founder.
He said that it was agreed that the date of the third round of talks would be announced after the PTI committee met Imran.