Imran presses for meeting with team

RAWALPINDI:

As negotiations hang by a thread, PTI founder Imran Khan on Saturday demanded a meeting with his party's negotiation committee before the next round of talks, scheduled for January 28.

Speaking with party leaders during a meeting at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, the incarcerated PTI supremo asserted that the party's final stance on the dialogue would hinge on consultations with the negotiation committee.

The air around the negotiations remains thick with uncertainty as PTI leaders send mixed signals. Just a day earlier, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan claimed that the talks had only been put on hold, contradicting the party's earlier statement about calling off the process altogether.

PTI had initially slammed the brakes on dialogue, accusing the government of "non-cooperation" and procrastination in forming a judicial commission to investigate two key events: the violent protests of May 9, 2023, and the November 26 crackdown on PTI workers in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz reiterated that PTI remains open to resuming talks, provided the government forms an independent commission.

He claimed, however, that the government was reluctant to let the truth come out. "If the government has nothing to hide, they have a golden opportunity to form the commission. Their failure to do so suggests there's something fishy," he said while speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail.

He said that the government had initially promised a decision within eight days but later backtracked claiming it had meant "eight working days".

He claimed that PTI

had entered into dialogue with sincerity, considering the country's political and economic crises, as well as external and internal challenges.

Faraz lamented the government's approach, accusing it of bad faith. "We submitted our demands in writing, but they never intended to pursue meaningful dialogue. They are more concerned with maintaining their status quo than addressing the nation's concerns."

PTI's legal adviser Salman Akram Raja, while speaking to the media, disclosed that a detailed meeting with Imran Khan had taken place. Raja asserted that Khan remains unwavering in his stance and that PTI was engaging in negotiations solely for the betterment of Pakistan.

"The government tried to weaken PTI to the extent that it couldn't contest elections or run campaigns. Despite this, the nation rose on February 8 and voted for us—not just in KP but across Pakistan."

He alleged that the election results were manipulated, calling the act "shameful," and lamented the lack of justice from the courts.

"Imran Khan gave the system a chance, but now he has made it clear: no negotiations will occur unless the commission is announced."

He added that Imran was willing to meet the negotiation team but only after the formation of the commission.

"Who says bullets weren't fired on November 26? People were martyred and others went missing. We have all the data, and we'll present it not only to the courts but also to the public," he stated.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI's legal representative, also spoke to the media outside the Judicial Complex, lamenting the procedural delays in forming the commission.