Defense Minister Khawaja Asif questioned the seriousness of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the ongoing negotiations with the federal government and termed the negotiations as a joke.
Talking exclusively to Geo News On Monday, the 75-year-old minister said he did not have the authority to ensure the success or failure of talks with the PTI, however, he strongly doubted the intentions of the former ruling party’s leaders.
The minister’s remarks came after National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq called for a “decisive” third meeting of the negotiating committees representing the government and the opposition PTI on January 16.
The much-anticipated in-camera meeting will take place at Parliament House at 11:30 am, during which the former ruling party is likely to present its demands in writing to the government team.
The PML-N leader remarked, “I am 100 percent suspicious of PTI’s intentions, they are just buying time as their objectives are completely different.”
“PTI leaders are not serious about bringing their leader Imran Khan out of jail through negotiations.”
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August last year after being convicted in Case-1 – one of dozens of cases filed against the former prime minister since he was ousted from power in April 2022.
Referring to the criticism leveled at him by PTI leaders, the senior ruling party politician said that these people “have the game in their hands”.
“I’m being targeted as if I’m trying to derail the negotiations.”
Khawaja Asif said that he wants the negotiations to be successful even if there is dishonesty. However, he added that so far there is not a single point that indicates progress towards a meaningful outcome.
He further alleged that PTI leaders do not want the talks to be fruitful. Instead, they were looking for someone to blame for a failure.
Therefore, it is a “waste of time”, as they have some other objectives, the minister said, adding that it is not a negotiation but a mockery of talks.
He said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif including the leadership of Muslim League-N and many politicians including Rana Sanaullah are in favor of negotiations.
He added that I also support dialogue but PTI clearly does not.
PTI wants progress on demands.
After meeting the PTI founder, the former ruling party had announced that they are ready for the third round of talks with the ruling coalition.
Sources told Geo News on Monday that the date of the crucial meeting was fixed after a telephonic conversation between PTI leader Asad Qaiser and the Speaker of the National Assembly.
A day earlier, Sunni Unity Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who also serves as the spokesperson of the negotiating team, addressed a joint press conference along with senior PTI leaders Umar Ayub Khan and Asad Qaiser. , urged the government to make progress on their negotiations. Demands for the next round of negotiations.
He demanded the government to set up an “impartial judicial commission” headed by a senior judge of the Supreme Court to investigate the incidents of May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024.
He said that there has been no progress in the talks so far, stressing the need for the government to implement their demands, especially the establishment of a judicial commission.
Stressing that the release of political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission were integral to their demands, Raza said that the PTI would present its two demands in writing to the government team during the upcoming meeting.
Raza warned that if the judicial commission is not formed and the former ruling party does not extend the deadline for talks with the government beyond January 31, the talks will not continue.
“Show CCTV footage if you [the government] Believe PTI is responsible. [for the May 9 violence]” he demanded.