The First Round of Talks Between
Government and Opposition Concludes in Islamabad; Negotiations to Continue at 3
PM on Friday.
On Thursday, a committee
comprising leaders representing the federal government and a team of senior
members from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) started long-awaited negotiations
at the Parliament House. The objective of these talks is to reach a consensus
on holding elections for the national and provincial assemblies on a single
date.
The federal government nominated
several senior leaders, including Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Azam Tarar,
Ayaz Sadiq, Yousaf Raza Gillani, and Syed Naveed Qamar, to represent them in
the committee formed to reach an agreement on holding national and provincial
assembly elections on the same date. Kishwar Zehra from the MQM-P was also a
part of the government committee. On the other hand, PTI Vice Chairman Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, Barrister Ali Zafar, and Fawad Chaudhry represented the
opposition party.
However, the Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) did not attend the talks. After the first round of
talks concluded on Thursday, both sides agreed to meet on Friday at 3pm to
continue the negotiation process. Yousaf Raza Gillani spoke to the media after
the meeting and said that PTI would present its demands before the government
negotiating committee on Friday. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stated that the
government committee had taken a principled stance to handle the matter within
constitutional limits, emphasising the importance of considering the interests
of the state and its people.
The Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq
Sanjrani, wrote letters to the leader of the house and the opposition
requesting them to nominate members from both the treasury and opposition
benches to form a special committee for holding political dialogue. The Senate
chairman stated that a committee comprising members of the Senate belonging to
both sides of the aisle had been proposed to address the ongoing political and
economic crisis, including the holding of general elections.
The Supreme Court had earlier
resumed hearing the case related to the delay in Punjab polls, with Attorney
General of Pakistan Mansoor Awan telling the court that Chairman Senate Sadiq
Sanjrani would form a committee comprising members from both sides of the aisle
to evolve a consensus to hold elections of national and provincial assemblies
on one date. The three-judge bench suggested that political parties should
evolve a consensus on one date for elections in the national interest, respect
of the Constitution, and welfare of the people. The court also feared that if political
parties fail to reach a consensus, the delay in the elections may continue.
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