The federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are set to hold talks on Friday as tensions continue over the party’s planned October 4 march toward Islamabad.
The decision followed a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday. The meeting reviewed the country’s political and security situation, with particular attention to developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A joint delegation from the federal government and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will meet PTI leaders. The government delegation includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Amir Muqam. PPP representatives will include Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar and Aijaz Jakhrani.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed that his party had accepted the government’s invitation. He said representatives of both sides would meet at noon on Friday in the office of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
However, Gohar said accepting talks did not mean withdrawing the October 4 march. PTI has maintained that the protest will proceed and has described its demands as including access to its jailed founder Imran Khan, medical treatment and what it calls constitutional and legal rights.
Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah said separate “off-the-record” consultations with senior PTI leaders were already underway. He also said the government had made arrangements to prevent the march from entering Islamabad if it continued.
The possibility of emergency measures or Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains part of the political dispute. Government officials have said constitutional and parliamentary procedures would apply to any such decision.
The talks will take place as both sides face pressure over political tensions, the planned protest and the security situation in KP.
