Govt signals willingness to engage PTI

Speaker Sadiq ready to convene committee once opposition responds

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly given the go-ahead to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to proceed with negotiations between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sources said on Wednesday, a significant development in efforts to cool political temperatures.

Parliamentary sources said that the government side has agreed to take part in the talks at the speaker's request. However, discussions will only be held with PTI's elected representatives, while no engagement is planned with unelected party figures.

Despite the government's readiness, the sources said, no PTI leader has yet formally approached the Office of the Speaker to begin the negotiation process, and initial outreach remains pending from the opposition's side.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has meanwhile retained the existing parliamentary committee structure. The sources said that if the opposition signals willingness, the speaker is prepared to immediately convene a meeting of the committee to begin formal discussions.

However, despite the speaker's earlier invitation, there has been no contact so far from the opposition benches. The speaker has already offered PTI the option of attending negotiations within his parliamentary chamber.

The last formal interaction between PTI representatives and the speaker took place over the nomination of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.