PTI-Govt Talks
The federal government has announced that the fourth round of negotiations between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government negotiation committees will take place on January 28, focusing on key issues and demands from PTI.
Senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Rana Sanaullah, confirmed that a sub-committee has been formed to thoroughly evaluate PTI’s Charter of Demands (CoD) and prepare an official government response. “We will present our position on PTI’s demands during the next round of talks,” said Sanaullah.
PTI, led by Chairman Barrister Gohar, recently issued an ultimatum, demanding the formation of a judicial commission within seven days to investigate the May 9 riots.
In response, Sanaullah stated that while PTI has the right to make such demands, the government would not provide a written reply to them at this stage.
To discuss PTI’s demands, the government team convened with its allied parties in the National Assembly speaker’s chamber. The session included consultations over the contentious issue of forming a judicial commission to probe the May 9 events, which saw significant opposition from the allies.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, speaking on behalf of the government committee, emphasized that the government has not yet formed a firm stance on PTI’s demands. He expressed hope that ongoing talks would bring about some improvement.
Internally, the government has been briefed by Law Minister Nazir Tarar and the Attorney General regarding PTI’s demands, particularly the call for a judicial commission.
However, government sources have indicated that the ruling party is currently opposed to the formation of such a commission, despite the pressure from PTI for a formal written response.
Meanwhile, Dr. Farooq Sattar, a member of the government’s negotiation committee, briefly spoke to the media but refrained from sharing specifics of the discussions. He stressed the importance of avoiding media involvement to ensure the talks could progress effectively.
As both sides prepare for the fourth round of talks, there is significant focus on how the government will address PTI’s demands and whether the negotiations will lead to a breakthrough amid the heightened political tensions.
