Senior members of the government and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have expressed conditional willingness to engage in negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while calling for the withdrawal of PTI's civil disobedience movement.
In a statement, Advisor to the Prime Minister and senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah highlighted that when the government offered talks, PTI responded by questioning the government's authority, asserting that political party engagement did not equate to negotiations. He stressed that real solutions could only be found through direct dialogue at the negotiating table.
Speaking on Express News’ program Centre Stage, Sanaullah clarified that while communication between political parties never stops, such exchanges could not be considered formal negotiations.
He revealed that even during PTI's visit to Islamabad, the government maintained communication, but this was not labelled as negotiations. He further stated that when the government officially proposed talks, PTI dismissed the idea by questioning the government's credibility and stature.
Sanaullah shared that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered PTI the chance for negotiations on the floor of the National Assembly over a month ago, inviting them to come to the table and resolve matters.
He also mentioned that PTI had recently decided to engage in dialogue, after initially pursuing talks with the establishment. He reiterated that dialogue could only lead to resolutions if both parties sit down together.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PML-N's parliamentary leader in the Senate, rejected the idea of holding talks while PTI continues its civil disobedience movement, stressing that such a strategy was ineffective.
He stated that if PTI genuinely wanted to engage in talks, they would need to end their disruptive tactics and restore trust.
Senator Ali Zafar from PTI, however, stressed the importance of maintaining open channels for dialogue. He stated that if the government creates an atmosphere of trust, negotiations could move forward and the opposition would be ready to engage.
On the other hand, Senator Talal Chaudhry of PML-N opposed negotiations with PTI, calling them a "drama" and accusing the government of attempting to protect former military officer Faiz Hameed through these discussions.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai once again warned the government to take the necessary steps for dialogue. He stressed that if the government failed to initiate talks, PTI would be ready to intensify its civil disobedience movement starting December 14.
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