PTI spells out demands, draws cold govt response

ISLAMABAD:

The roller-coaster dialogue between negotiators from the government and the beleaguered PTI hit the make-or-break pitch on Thursday when the later formally spelled out its demands triggering all but a definite "no" from the later.

The demands Imran Khan's party conveyed in writing to the government side during their third round of negotiations include judicial inquiries into the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024 events, as well as the release of "political prisoners."

Six negotiators from the PTI and its allied parties and eight from the ruling coalition took part in the negotiations overseen by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. The PTI formally presented a three-page charter of demands signed by all six participants of Thursday's huddle.

The government side would convey its formal reply to the PTI within seven working days, according to a news release jointly issued by both sides. The next meeting date would be decided in consultation with both the committees, it added.

The PTI and its allies put forward two key demands: i) formation of two judicial commissions, and ii) "support" of the federal and provincial governments in bail, sentence suspensions, and acquittal of "political prisoners" identified by the party.

The demands were presented as a "prerequisite to wider negotiations with respect to the restoration of the Constitution, the rule of law, and respect for the people's mandate, and free and fair elections".

The charter of demands calls upon the government to "set up two commissions of inquiry in terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017", demanding that they comprise the chief justice of Pakistan or three serving Supreme Court judges, mutually nominated by the PTI and the government within seven days.

"The conduct of the proceedings of the two commissions must be open to the general public as well as the media," it added. "The establishment of the two commissions identified in this charter is a necessary indication of seriousness of intent," it stated. "We shall not be able to continue with the negotiations if the two commissions sought by us are not agreed to in principle and constituted forthwith."

The charter of demands also calls upon the federal government, as well as the governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, to "support, in accordance with the law, the grant of bails or orders suspending the conviction and sentence of all political prisoners" arrested pursuant to "one or more FIRs registered with respect to any event on May 9, 2023 or any event on November 24 to 27, 2024 or any other political event anywhere".

It states that the prisoners, to be identified by the party, would include those "convicted and whose appeals or revisions are presently pending before a court of law".

While speaking during the meeting, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that he presented his two "demands" to both sides that the issues of economy and terrorism be addressed as these were public issues. "I requested them that the entire country should also be united on a charter of economy and [the issue of] terrorism, and that some committees should also be formed on these," he added.

 

Commission on May 9 riots

The PTI asked that the first commission be tasked to conduct an in-depth inquiry into various aspects, including the "legality of the events that led" to Imran's arrest on May 9, 2023.

It further sought a probe into the "legality of the manner of the arrest and those responsible for the break-in into the premises of the Islamabad High Court by the rangers and police".

Referring to the nationwide violent protests that occurred on May 9, it asked that the "events across the country after Imran's arrest" be also inquired into.

The PTI specifically asked for a probe into the "circumstances in which groups of people were able to reach various high security locations at which damage to property is said to have been caused". It sought an "examination of the CCTV recordings at each location where damage is said to have been caused by protesters".

Moreover, the party said that if the CCTV footage is "not available, the causes of this lack of availability" be investigated as well.

The PTI demanded that the "manner in which those arrested in connection with the events of May 9 were apprehended and then kept in custody as well as the circumstances of their release" be also looked into. "Were the human rights of these individuals violated, including through torture? How were the lists of those to be arrested compiled?" it asked.

"Were multiple FIRs registered against the same individual with respect to May 9, 2023 and sequential arrests carried out in abuse of the process of the law?" the party further asked. It also sought a review of "instances of media censorship and restrictions on reporting related to the incident, including harassment of journalists".

Commission for Nov 26 crackdown

Seeking the formation of a separate commission over its November 'Final Call' protest in Islamabad, the PTI asked for another in-depth inquiry into the events of November 24 to 27.

"Was there firing of live ammunition and other forms of physical assault on the protestors in Islamabad? If so, who ordered the use of live ammunition and other violent actions against the protestors? To what extent was the use of force excessive? If so, who was responsible for the excessive use of force?" the PTI asked.

It also asked for the "number of the martyrs and the injured and of the persons who went missing after 24 to 27 November, 2024".

The opposition demanded that the "state of the CCTV recordings at the various hospitals and medical facilities in Islamabad" during those four days be examined and ascertained.

"Were the records of hospitals and other medical facilities tampered with? If so, under whose directions and command was this done? Were the hospitals prevented from releasing information about the fatalities and the injuries?" the PTI asked.

It also sought the same for the CCTV footage "recorded at the various premises from China Chowk to D Chowk on the Blue Area", where the PTI convoys had gathered for their Islamabad protest.

"What difficulties were faced by those seeking to register FIRs and initiate other legal action with respect to the events of 24 to 27 November?" the party asked. It sought a review of "instances of media censorship and restrictions on reporting related to the incident, including the harassment of journalists".

At the huddle, the PTI was represented by Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Senator Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri and Barrister Salman Akram Raja. From the coalition side, Ishaq Dar, Irfan Siddiqui, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Rana Sanaullah, and Dr Farooq Sattar took part in the negotiations.

Rana Sanaullah

In a knee-jerk reaction to the PTI's charter of demands, the prime minister special assistant, Rana Sanaullah, said that the PTI says all the cases against its supporters are political in nature but it has failed to give the name of any worker or the FIR number. Why the PTI has not furnished the list of its workers arrested, missing or deceased, he asked.

He added that after the Supreme Court intervention the May 9 vandalism is a shut case now. The government does not have the mandate to play any role in such cases which have been decided by the court of law.

Sanaullah said that all cases against PTI's workers involve terrorism clauses as they were involved in attacking and mocking the national institutions, including armed forces, adding that they maligned the country's internationally through their "nefarious acts." He added that a judicial commission could not be formed according to the Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017.