PTI offers conditional talks to Sharifs' party

As PTI signals a willingness for talks with the PML-N-led government, provided certain conditions are met, PML-N has rejected the notion of conditional talks, asserting that the Imran Khan-led party must face the music over the May 9 rioting.

This came as the former ruling party, if its secretary general Omar Ayub is to be believed, budged from its earlier position of only talking to real power holders and showed openness to engage in talks with the PML-N-led government, provided that cases against PTI-supremo Imran Khan, his wife, and other party members are dropped.

During an interview with a private TV channel on Friday, Omer Ayub laid out PTI's stance, saying that the party was open to discussions if the government demonstrated seriousness, created a conducive environment, and retracted fictitious cases against PTI leaders. These cases involve Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omer Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhary, Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, and others implicated in the May 9 incidents.

He stated that if the government presents its reform agenda and plans for retooling the ECP, PTI would be prepared to engage in discussions.

Ayub stressed that no meaningful dialogue could occur while Imran Khan and other leaders remain behind bars. The opposition leader stated that, regarding talks with them, they are part of an alliance led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai. He added that Imran Khan has fully empowered Mahmood Khan Achakzai to hold dialogues on open terms.

Furthermore, he suggested that the government might be waiting for "somewhere else" directions on how to respond. Regarding the meetings between Rana Sanaullah and Achakzai, he remarked that no serious discussions had taken place; these meetings were merely exchanges of pleasantries.

He criticised the government as toothless, saying that even their legislative actions were directed by external forces – an allusion to the military. Senior PML-N leader and close aide to Nawaz Sharif, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, told The Express Tribune that any condition related to the revocation of cases would be unacceptable to them.

He said that PTI, which is grasping for lifelines, has made a conditional offer for dialogue as a desperate bid to find a way out. PML-N, however, will not extend any olive branch in this regard, he asserted.

The PML-N leader further stressed PTI will have to fight their cases in court as it was not within the power of the government or anyone else to dismiss cases of such magnitude arbitrarily.

This is a matter for the law and the courts, not the government.

He also stated that if PTI wants to be part of the reform agenda, they should participate in it within the assembly.

He dismissed discussions of forms 45 and 47 as irrelevant, maintaining that PTI's demands have always centred on the resolution of legal cases.