As SC deadline nears, PML-N contacts PTI over poll date

ISLAMABAD:

Overcoming internal rifts, the ruling PML-N on Saturday moved to initiate contacts with its arch-rival -- the PTI -- a day after the Supreme Court afforded a temporary respite to the country’s main political parties, giving them a week to develop a consensus on the date for elections in the country.

Sources privy to the development said that Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq approached PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser to convey the message that the PML-N was ready for talks.

The sources said that Qaiser apprised the party leadership, including Secretary General Asad Umar, about the development so that the party formally takes the next step.

They said that no date or venue for the talks had so far been decided.

Adopting a carrot and stick policy, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked all political parties to evolve a consensus on the date for holding simultaneous general elections of the national as well as the four provincial assemblies expeditiously; otherwise, the court noted, its order regarding the Punjab Assembly elections on May 14 would come into force.

Read more: PML-N will ‘quietly’ reach out to PTI for talks

The SC bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar issued the direction while hearing a constitutional petition filed by a citizen, requesting the court to issue directions for holding the elections of the national and four provincial assemblies on the same day.

Earlier, the top court had given the coalition government and the PTI until 4pm on Thursday to sit together and develop a consensus on the elections in the country. At the same time, it also asserted that it would not go back on its order fixing May 14 as the date for elections of the Punjab Assembly.

However, later on, the court adjourned the matter till after Eid.

The political and legal impasse on elections had started soon after the PTI government was ousted through a vote of no confidence in April 2022 but it intensified after PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan ordered to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in an attempt to force elections on the federal government.

He, however, remained unsuccessful in achieving the objective as the ruling coalition at the Center refused to cave in and vowed to complete the remaining constitutional period.

Surprisingly, the PMLN’s offer for talks came just days after Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb told The Express Tribune that the PML-N would not hold talks with the PTI. However, following the apex court’s intervention, the party expressed its willingness for talks with PTI.

The PML-N’s refusal as well as willingness to hold talks with the PTI came at a time when different political parties geared up to break the political impasse through dialogue.

Though the major ruling parties – PML-N and PPP – showed willingness to hold talks, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman repeatedly said that neither his party — JUI-F — nor the PDM would hold talks with the PTI, declaring Imran as an “unnecessary element” of politics.

Before the PML-N leaders approached the PTI, PPP and PTI each had constituted a three-member committee to hold dialogue on the ongoing political crisis in the country for holding elections in Punjab and K-P and deciding the date for general elections in the country.

The three-member PTI committee includes Pervaiz Khattak, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed. Similarly, PPP’s three-member committee comprises Senator Yousaf Raza Gillani, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, and PM’s Advisor on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira to persuade allies as well as the PTI to sit together for talks so that the dust could be settled for the time being.

In the past, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif repeatedly held out an olive branch to the PTI but it was met with harsh statements from Imran, who refused to sit with political opponents after declaring them “corrupt” and “looters”.

On the eve of the country’s Diamond Jubilee, PM Shehbaz had offered his bitter rival Imran to hold talks, renewing his offer of sitting together to reach a consensus on the “charter of economy” in the greater national interest amid worsening economic crises.

The offer had come a day after President Dr Arif Alvi offered his office to broker some dialogue between the PM and ex-premier Imran.

However, as happened on several other occasions, the verbal offers could never go beyond words.

Several PML-N and PTI leaders were approached for their comments on the proposal but they didn’t respond.