Islamabad [Pakistan], January 5 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and spokesperson for the government negotiation committee Senator Irfan Siddiqui said on Saturday that ongoing dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could face significant challenges as the Imran Khan-founded party has not submitted its demands in writing as initially agreed, ARY News reported.
In his remarks at an interview, Siddiqui noted that there has been minimal progress over the past 12 days. He said that PTI’s negotiating team had facilitated a meeting with the party chairman to build trust. However, he said that uncertainty remains over whether the ‘Charter of Demands’ will be provided in writing despite prior commitments from the two sides.
During the meeting on December 23, Imran Khan’s party promised to present its demands in writing, a promise reiterated in the joint statement. Siddiqui said that the demands were not submitted by January 2.
During the meeting, the government negotiating team was told that PTI needed another opportunity to hold talks with their chairman to finalise their written demands. The government had agreed to PTI. However, the party did not present a written ‘Charter of Demands’ during the third meeting, potentially complicating the negotiation process.
On the issue of political prisoners, Siddiqui stressed that being a political prisoner is defined by the nature of the crime and not the identity of the person. He said, “If I, as a member of the Senate, commit murder and end up in jail for it, I would never be considered a political prisoner,” according to ARY News report.
PML-N leader noted that even the country’s president does not have immunity in such matters. He said PTI has raised several demands, including the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and other prisoners, establishing the judicial commissions and the tracing of 45 missing persons. When PTI was asked about names, addresses and identities of these missing persons, Imran Khan-founded party said that no such list exists.
When asked whether the government could find people without any information, Siddiqui said that the government negotiation team did not make any demands of PTI nor they asked the party to withdraw its call for civil disobedience, ARY News reported.
In response to another question, Siddiqui said that the government or any other institution has given no offer to transfer Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Bani Gala or elsewhere, according to ARY News report. He further said that there were no parallel or behind-the-scenes negotiations taking place and added that PTI would set the date for the third negotiation meeting.
The second round of talks between the government and PTI could not make significant headway, as the party’s leadership has demanded frequent meetings with Imran Khan to finalise their list of demands, Dawn reported.
The government and PTI will meet again possibly next week. Notably, PTI has publicly talked about his two demands, which include a judicial commission to probe the May 9 and November 26 violence and the release of political prisoners.
Imran Khan-founded party has already given an ultimatum that talks should conclude by the end of the ongoing month. Before the talks began, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the demands would be presented during the meeting.
Following the meeting, Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, while addressing a press conference, said, “During the last meeting, it was decided that PTI leaders will give a written list of demands, but today they again requested more time for the finalisation [of demands] as they need to consult Imran Khan.”
He noted that the meeting took place in a pleasant setting compared to the last meeting, adding that the next round of talks would be held next week. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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