- Senator warns ongoing talks could face challenges due to PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing as initially agreed
ISLAMABAD: The government negotiations committee spokesperson Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Sunday expressed concerns over the PTI’s new demands, including the inclusion of a representative of the establishment in the ongoing negotiations and the party’s reluctance to present a formal charter of demands (CoD).
Speaking during a TV programme, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said he was “surprised” by Qaiser’s new demands, stating that they had not been brought up in committee meetings.
“What the PTI said in the interview is surprising and very big,” he said.
A day earlier, PTI leader Asad Qaiser told the TV channel that the party would not continue negotiations with the government to cease unless the party was granted “uninterrupted access” to ex-premier and party founder Imran Khan for consultation, asserting that only Khan could make any final decisions.
Qaiser, without naming the establishment, also said that the PTI had asked the government to include “the stakeholder” in the dialogue because “the thinking of those who have the real decision-making powers is yet to be seen”.
On the same programme, PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said, “They (the establishment) are a part of the government, of course, the committee will talk with them as and where it is needed,” in response to a question about bringing an establishment representative on board for negotiations.
The senator maintained that Asad Qaiser did not bring any of these demands up during the committee meeting, expressing surprise over the demand for “uninterrupted access” to the incarcerated PTI founder for consultations on the talks.
On Thursday, Siddiqui said in a joint press statement that the PTI had requested at the last meeting that it be allowed to meet Imran in Adiala Jail to consult him on the final charter of demands.
Siddiqui warned that the ongoing talks could face significant challenges due to the PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing as initially agreed, according to APP.
He said, quoting Qaiser, that the PTI would use the minutes of the committee meeting as a formal presentation of the party’s demands, as opposed to the charter discussed in the meeting.
“This is strange,” Siddiqui said, referring to how the demands were presented.
Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into violence amid state repression.
Following the turmoil, Imran established a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also formed a committee with ruling coalition members.
The first meeting between the two sides took place on December 23, while the second one occurred on January 2.
The government and the opposition are expected to meet again next week.
