ISLAMABAD: Amid a January 31 deadline based on the outcome of talks by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the federal government and the former ruling party on Thursday began the second round of key talks.
The meeting is being chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the Constitution Committee Room of the Parliament House as he was facilitating and guiding the talks between the Finance and the Opposition.
PTI’s negotiating team was represented in the National Assembly by Leader of the Opposition Umar Ayub, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, former Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Secretary General of the party Salman Akram Raja and the head of the Sunni Unity Council (SIC). Sahibzada Hamid Raza did.
While the government team includes Prime Minister’s adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Raja Pervez Ashraf and Naveed Qamar.
In their meeting with the government team, the PTI’s negotiating team had decided to pursue two initial demands – the release of undertrial political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and late night. Crackdown. On the 26th of November at the protestors
After months of intense political tension, the former ruling party and government finally held the first round of talks last month.
After the meeting held in a favorable atmosphere, the party established by Imran Khan decided to present its demands in writing to the government negotiation committee.
It was agreed that both sides are united in the fight against terrorism. On this occasion, tributes were also paid to the martyrs for their sacrifices. Support for standing side by side in the war against terrorism was also announced.
The talks between the government and the PTI are taking place in the wake of the former ruling party’s announcement of a civil disobedience movement if its demands include the release of all political prisoners, including PTI founder Imran Khan, and an investigation into the May 9 incident. Therefore, the formation of the judicial commission was a riot and the incident of 26 November became inconclusive.
The jailed former prime minister had last month asked his supporters to start an anti-government movement by stopping remittances in the first phase.
‘Ready to protest’
A day ago, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur said that if the ongoing negotiations with the government fail, Tehreek-e-Insaf is ready to launch a protest movement.
Talking to a private TV news channel, he said that the founder of PTI had authorized the party leaders to negotiate with the government only for the sake of the country.
The chief minister, who is also PTI’s KP chapter chief, said that while his party was engaged in talks with the government, it was ready to launch an agitation if its demands were not met.
Citing the PTI’s Charter of Demands, listing the main demands, he said they included the release of the PTI founder, other leaders and political prisoners.
The chief minister also reiterated his earlier demand for setting up a commission to probe the May 9 and November 26 violent incidents. He hoped that the year 2025 would mark the beginning of what he called “real independence”.
Gandapur stressed that Tehreek-e-Insaaf relied on public support to launch the movement, stressing that it did not need the support of external powers.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more details.