Govt regrets PTI’s ‘rigidity’
Calling the ongoing negotiation process “useless” without the formation of judicial commission, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senior leader Omar Ayub on Wednesday announced that they would not attend the upcoming fourth round of talks with the ruling coalition.
His statement came shortly after, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government negotiation team, announced that the fourth round of talks between the ruling alliance and the embattled PTI would be held on January 28.
He further said the government has yet to decide about the judicial commission, one of the key demands of PTI for continuing talks.
The PTI, during the third round of talks held on January 16, finally presented its demands in writing, seeking probes into the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024 events, as well as the release of “political prisoners”.
PTI’s “charter of demands”, seen by Geo News, also mentioned that if the government failed to constitute two separate commissions on the events, the party will not continue the negotiations.
Meanwhil, hours after the PTI refused to attend the fourth round of ongoing talks until the formation of a judicial commission, the government on Wednesday regretted the former ruling party’s “rigid attitude”, reiterating that negotiations were the only way out in a democratic political system.
“We would not snatch anything from the PTI if they attend [fourth round of talks]…negotiations are not a decree,” Prime minister’s aide on political affairs Rana Sanaullah said while speaking to a news channel.
Sanaullah noted that the government has formed a sub-committee, which would “humbly and respectfully” respond to the PTI’s demand in writing.
“It [the committee] will finalise answers within the next one or two days… this is how negotiations work in a democratic political system,” he said.
