— Asad Qaiser says talks will only take place if government agrees to PTI demand
— Rana Sana claims govt has not yet received a formal message from PTI
ISLAMABAD: Despite tall claims by national media, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Federal Cabinet ministers have said that there was no breakthrough in dialogue process between the PTI and federal government and media hype in this regard was just a storm in a teacup.
PTIÂ Â leader Asad Qaiser on Friday told the National Assembly that any negotiations with the government will take place only if the government agrees and will be conducted under the guidance of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan.
“I went to the speaker’s office for a condolence visit, not for talks,” Qaiser told the National Assembly.
Asad Qaiser clarified that he visited the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly only for condolence prayers and not for negotiations, as reported by the media. He emphasised that talks would only occur when the government is willing, and in accordance with instructions from PTI’s founding chairman, Imran Khan.
The National Assembly session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Mir Ghulam Mustafa Shah, saw heated exchanges.
Qaiser criticised the government for its lack of seriousness, stating that the government had failed to address the issues raised by the opposition. He asked the Deputy Speaker, “What agenda will you proceed with when the government members are absent?”
In response, the Deputy Speaker said that the Speaker’s office had written to the Prime Minister regarding the disrespect shown to the House, adding, “We will not run the assembly in such a manner.”
He adjourned the session for 10 minutes, warning that if no government minister showed up, the session would be cancelled.
Qaiser also addressed the ongoing debate about dialogue, stressing that the discussions would only take place once the government was ready, and under Khan’s directives.
He questioned the use of force on November 26 during protests, asserting that the constitution allows peaceful demonstrations. He also demanded the release of PTI leaders and supporters arrested during recent protests.
“The law that bans protests in Islamabad violates the constitution,” Qaiser said. “We want a judicial commission led by senior Supreme Court judges to investigate the events of November 26 and May 9.”
He further criticised the government for what he described as actions against PTI members, including the alleged forced resignation of party lawmakers and raids on their homes.
Qaiser also raised concerns over the targeting of Pashtuns, claiming that the government’s actions were aimed at dividing the country. He accused authorities of imposing “martial law” in Punjab and disrupting trade with Afghanistan.
Qaiser concluded by reiterating PTI’s demand for a judicial investigation into the incidents surrounding May 9 and November 26, and for the release of PTI’s detained leaders and supporters.
Separately, Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council and member National Assembly, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, said that the terms of reference for dialogues have been finalised, and it is now up to the government to decide whether it wishes to engage in negotiations or not.
During a talk with media outside the parliament that the chief of the SIC, the ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said that as of now, there have been no negotiations; however, the matter is being addressed in the party’s meetings.
He also mentioned that only the PTI founder will provide guidelines for the dialogues from jail. Sahibzada Hamid Raza indicated that any developments concerning the talks will be communicated to the media by Friday evening.
Meanwhile, an important meeting of opposition leaders has been convened to deliberate on the current political situation. According to the information available, the meeting will take place at the residence of PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Opposition Leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and others are expected to participate in the meeting. Additionally, Allama Nasir Abbas and several others will also be in attendance.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s close aide Rana Sanaullah on Friday claimed that the government has not yet received a formal message from PTI on initiating the process of dialogue despite the rival party’s claims of having formed a negotiations committee.
In a bid to create an “atmosphere of reconciliation” and defuse prevailing political tensions in the country amid PTI’s civil disobedience threat, the former ruling party and the government reportedly agreed to use parliamentary forum for negotiation.
For the task, the Imran Khan-founded party has also formed a five-member negotiation committee comprising Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser.
However, the party has allegedly failed to formally communicate to the government in this regard.
Criticising the political rival for this reason, the adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Political Affairs said that PTI’s stance towards the government is still the same: “Why should we engage in talks with you?”
The former minister’s remarks came during Geo News’ programme “Geo Pakistan” during a discussion on the potential dialogue between the government and PTI.
Sanaullah reiterated that the PML-N has always favoured resolution of issues through talks, recalling that the party even proposed a “Charter of Economy” when it was in the opposition.
He assured that PML-N would not reject any message for dialogue from PTI.
“If PTI reaches out, we will not refuse to engage,” he added, noting that efforts were made to contact PTI before their “final call.”
He, however, clarified that discussions had not included the offer of the release of PTI founder.
Commenting on the events of May 9, a matter that remains a bone of contention between the two sides, Sanaullah questioned why PTI had not apologised or admitted their mistakes.
“Why don’t they denounce May 9 incidents? Saying that it was them, not us, on May 9 will only deepen the bitterness,” he said.
The government and PTI has been at loggerheads on the violent incidents on May 9, when the supporters of the former ruling party took to the streets against the arrest of their leader, Imran Khan, last year.
The ruling coalition holds PTI responsible for attacking public properties including military institutions in many parts of the country.
Following the recent reports of meetings between PTI leaders and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the government welcomed the PTI’s renewed approach to holding talks with its political rivals despite the “questionable past”.
