Probing 2013 elections: Govt, PTI to resume negotiations on Friday

Ishaq Dar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi talk on the phone; to attend third round of talks to finalise JC terms of reference


Abdul Manan December 18, 2014

ISLAMABAD: The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s negotiate team will hold the third round of talks on forming a Judicial Commission (JC) on Friday, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi talked on the phone Thursday evening in which they decided to hold the next round of talks on Friday.

In the previous two sittings, the government and PTI had exchanged proposals over the constitution of JC. The third sitting was due to finalise the terms of reference for the commission earlier this week, but it was postponed due to the Peshawar tragedy.

According to sources, the prime minister, who had presided over the political parliamentary meeting in Peshawar on Wednesday, had discussed the JC with PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan as well. Sources added that Imran had been given a surety that talks about JC will be held and will be meaningful.

The government’s team, led by Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal, has so far held two round of talks with PTI’s negotiation team led by Jahangir Tareen and Asad Umar. Shah Mehmood Qureshi is expected to join the third sitting on Friday.

The sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that both negotiation teams have been conveyed a message by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nasirul Mulk about the commission.

Sources added that Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Aslam Butt had met with CJP in his chamber last week where the CJP had asked the government to explain with details which type of commission they want to probe allegations of rigging.

The government on August 13 had written a letter to the SC wherein the prime minister had requested to form a commission under Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 1956 to probe allegations leveled by PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan against the May 2013 elections.

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