Dharna will continue: PTI core committee sticks to PM’s resignation demand
Party to observe September 13 as ‘one nation day’; major announcement from Imran Khan expected.
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will press ahead with its sit-in at D-Chowk until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns, the party’s core committee decided on Wednesday – the day when government and PTI negotiators had yet another round of inconclusive talks.
At a meeting chaired by party chairman Imran Khan, the PTI core committee also decided to observe ‘one nation day’ on September 13. According to sources, Imran is set to make some ‘major announcement’ on that date which will mark 30 days since PTI’s Azadi march began.
Since day one, the government has repeatedly said that the prime minister’s resignation is ‘non-negotiable’. After the 14th round of talks, there still was not a single word about the core issue even though both sides seemed eager to continue talks.
“Talks have entered the sensitive phase and we have decided to be more responsible,” PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while addressing the media.
He did not share details of the meeting. His party colleague Jahangir Tareen said the “talks will continue”, but did not say when the next round would take place.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the government has responded to every demand of the PTI while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution and was taking every decision in consultation with the parliamentary leaders of other political parties.
Prime Minister Nawaz held a consultative meeting with the parliamentary leaders in this regard and discussed the PTI’s demands, including the right to select 30 constituencies for investigations into rigging allegations.
The parliamentary leaders shot down PTI’s demands to pick and choose the 30 constituencies, and to have the judicial commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). They said the CJP cannot be forced to head the commission.
The negotiation teams of the government and PTI have been trying to address the question of giving a legal cover to the judicial commission, either through a presidential ordinance or through an act of parliament, sources said.
Later in the evening, Imran Khan thundered again as he made several disclosures of alleged corruption by the ruling clique. “I joined politics to safeguard the poor and the weak,” he said.
Accusing Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal of lying, the PTI chief asked him to explain how PTI’s demonstrations had caused losses worth Rs1 trillion. He said the government was ‘spewing poison’ against his party.
Imran blamed the ruling party for the deaths of protesters during clashes with the police and said the government had no idea how many protesters had actually been killed. He accused the government of covering up the real figure.
Govt, PAT negotiators meet
The government team comprising Ahsan Iqbal held a meeting with PAT leaders. Iqbal had said the other day that they would reach an understanding but it did not happen.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Iqbal said the next meeting between the two sides would take place on Friday. Responding to a question, he said the meeting was fixed after a few days as the PAT was preparing its response to “our proposal of reform council.”
The minister, however, neither shared any details regarding the talks nor responded to the question whether PAT was ready to withdraw its demand for the resignation of the prime minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2014.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will press ahead with its sit-in at D-Chowk until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns, the party’s core committee decided on Wednesday – the day when government and PTI negotiators had yet another round of inconclusive talks.
At a meeting chaired by party chairman Imran Khan, the PTI core committee also decided to observe ‘one nation day’ on September 13. According to sources, Imran is set to make some ‘major announcement’ on that date which will mark 30 days since PTI’s Azadi march began.
Since day one, the government has repeatedly said that the prime minister’s resignation is ‘non-negotiable’. After the 14th round of talks, there still was not a single word about the core issue even though both sides seemed eager to continue talks.
“Talks have entered the sensitive phase and we have decided to be more responsible,” PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while addressing the media.
He did not share details of the meeting. His party colleague Jahangir Tareen said the “talks will continue”, but did not say when the next round would take place.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the government has responded to every demand of the PTI while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution and was taking every decision in consultation with the parliamentary leaders of other political parties.
Prime Minister Nawaz held a consultative meeting with the parliamentary leaders in this regard and discussed the PTI’s demands, including the right to select 30 constituencies for investigations into rigging allegations.
The parliamentary leaders shot down PTI’s demands to pick and choose the 30 constituencies, and to have the judicial commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). They said the CJP cannot be forced to head the commission.
The negotiation teams of the government and PTI have been trying to address the question of giving a legal cover to the judicial commission, either through a presidential ordinance or through an act of parliament, sources said.
Later in the evening, Imran Khan thundered again as he made several disclosures of alleged corruption by the ruling clique. “I joined politics to safeguard the poor and the weak,” he said.
Accusing Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal of lying, the PTI chief asked him to explain how PTI’s demonstrations had caused losses worth Rs1 trillion. He said the government was ‘spewing poison’ against his party.
Imran blamed the ruling party for the deaths of protesters during clashes with the police and said the government had no idea how many protesters had actually been killed. He accused the government of covering up the real figure.
Govt, PAT negotiators meet
The government team comprising Ahsan Iqbal held a meeting with PAT leaders. Iqbal had said the other day that they would reach an understanding but it did not happen.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Iqbal said the next meeting between the two sides would take place on Friday. Responding to a question, he said the meeting was fixed after a few days as the PAT was preparing its response to “our proposal of reform council.”
The minister, however, neither shared any details regarding the talks nor responded to the question whether PAT was ready to withdraw its demand for the resignation of the prime minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2014.