ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has called on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end all “anti-state” activities as a prerequisite for a political ceasefire and the revival of formal negotiations.
PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, made it clear that any meaningful dialogue hinges on PTI halting actions deemed hostile to the state and forming a credible, fully authorised negotiation team.
“If PTI wants a ceasefire, it must first stop attacking the state,” Siddiqui asserted. “A ceasefire implies mutual hostility—but the aggression is one-sided. PTI is the one launching attacks, not us.”
He pointed to several incidents to support PML-N’s stance, including the events of May 9, letters sent by PTI to the International Monetary Fund (IMF discouraging financial support to Pakistan, and alleged efforts to provoke foreign lawmakers and malign state institutions via social media.
“If they’re truly interested in peace, they must immediately stop these actions,” he stated.
Siddiqui stressed that PML-N is open to talks but expects seriousness from the other side. “Dialogue is the only way forward, but it requires a genuine agenda and a negotiating committee that has real decision-making power.”
Rejecting any notions of secret diplomacy, Siddiqui noted that the prime minister had publicly offered talks and that the government never resorted to backchannel methods.
“It was PTI that walked away from the negotiations,” he explained. “They themselves initiated contact with the Speaker of the National Assembly, agreed to an agenda, and began the process—only to abandon it midway.”
Highlighting PTI’s internal challenges, Siddiqui said, “There is no clarity on who actually holds negotiating authority in PTI. While a chairman exists on paper, all critical decisions still come from the party’s founder.”
“They demand that negotiations must involve the founder directly. Each delegation returns with new instructions from him. That’s not how serious negotiations are conducted,” he concluded
