Talks
Reacting to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) January 31 deadline for result-oriented talks, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar expressed skepticism, stating that the federal government does not take the deadline seriously.
He described it as a “face-saving” attempt by PTI, which, according to him, has suffered a series of political setbacks. Tarar’s comments came in response to the PTI negotiation committee’s announcement earlier on Thursday, when the party set the January 31 deadline for the government after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail.
During the meeting, the PTI reiterated its demands for a judicial probe into the May 9 riots and the late-night crackdown on November 26, as well as the release of what it called “political prisoners.”
Sahibzada Hamid Raza, the chief of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and a member of the PTI dialogue team, spoke to the media after the meeting. He emphasized that Imran Khan was willing to forgive everyone for the ill-treatment he had endured, for the sake of Pakistan.
Raza also announced that the first phase of PTI’s civil disobedience movement, which involves a boycott of remittances, would remain active even during negotiations with the government.
In a television interview the program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Tarar responded to PTI’s deadline, suggesting that the party’s push for talks was merely an attempt at “face-saving” after suffering repeated political defeats. He further claimed that PTI’s call for overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances would end up like its “final call” protest in Islamabad last month—another failed attempt.
Tarar noted that the PTI had faced numerous defeats, including setbacks with the 26th Constitutional Amendment and its “do-or-die” protest, which ultimately achieved nothing.
On the issue of a possible deal with Imran Khan, Tarar categorically denied claims that the jailed PTI leader had been offered an arrangement to either be placed under house arrest or transferred to a prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his party holds power.
The statements came at a time when the government and opposition were in the midst of a much-anticipated negotiation process that began earlier this week at Parliament House. These talks followed months of political tensions between the government and PTI.
In related developments, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Senator Irfan Siddiqui as the spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee. This committee has been tasked with leading the critical talks with PTI to address political and national issues.
Senator Siddiqui, who also chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, attended the inaugural meeting alongside other key government figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, and PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar.
From PTI’s side, the delegation was represented by former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, SIC Chief Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
The next round of talks is scheduled for January 2, when PTI is expected to present its written demands to the government panel.
