PTI sets deadline for talks with govt

Reiterates demands for formation of inquiry, release of prisoners

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RAWALPINDI:

The PTI is not going to engage in negotiations with the government for an indefinite period. It has set January 31 of the next year as the cut-off date for the process.

"The PTI is giving the government until the end of January to conclude the dialogue aimed at reducing political tensions. The party's negotiation team will formally inform the government committee about this deadline at our meeting on January 2," said Sahibzada Hamid Raza on Thursday.

Raza, the spokesperson of the PTI's negotiation team, was speaking to the media after meeting with party founder Imran Khan at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail along with Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser.

According to Raza, Imran is ready to forgive all the "atrocities" committed by authorities. However, he has not withdrawn his call for the overseas Pakistanis not to send remittances to the country

The SIC chief, who is not officially a PTI member, reiterated the party's demands for formation of judicial commissions to investigate the incidents of May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 and for the release of all political prisoners, including PTI founder Imran Khan.

"We categorically reject responsibility for the events of May 9," Raza said, demanding a judicial inquiry led by senior judges of the Supreme Court to establish accountability.

On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted across the country when paramilitary Rangers arrested Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with a corruption case.

He alleged that on November 26 authorities fired live rounds at PTI supporters staging a protest march in Islamabad, resulting in 13 deaths, 64 gunshot injuries, and 150 to 200 missing persons.

"This was an assault on the people and democracy," Raza asserted, calling for a transparent inquiry into the violence. He held government authorities responsible for ordering the alleged use of force against peaceful demonstrators.

Elaborating on the party's second demand, he said the PTI wants release of all its workers and leaders including Imran Khan. He, however, clarified that the release of Imran should not be part of a deal but a judicial process. "Imran Khan was acquitted by courts but the government formed new cases," he said.

Raza decried the systematic victimization of the PTI, likening it to the treatment of political parties during the 1971 crisis. He alleged that PTI members had been subjected to torture and that their civil and human rights had been "suspended."

Despite the persecution, Raza said, Imran Khan is willing to forgive the violence directed at him and urged the resolution of political grievances through constructive dialogue.

He claimed that PTI-backed candidates who emerged victorious in the February 8 polls faced obstacles in joining political parties registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. To circumvent these challenges, Imran Khan aligned PTI-backed candidates with the SIC, which remains a key ally of PTI.

He said Imran Khan expressed his confidence in all lawmakers including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The former prime minister also condemned airstrike inside Afghanistan, stating that Pakistan should resolve all issues with the neighboring country through dialogue.