Dialogue will only be fruitful if Imran gives mandate to negotiating team: Iqbal

Ahsan Iqbal says Imran's threat for a countrywide shutdown is to damage the economy

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said if PTI chairperson Imran Khan gives the mandate to his negotiating team only then dialogue between the government and his party can be fruitful.

“Imran vetoes his team’s decisions,” Iqbal said, adding the party with its ‘Plan C’ of a countrywide shutdown is trying to damage the economy.

“Why have Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad been chosen for the shutdown,” Iqbal questioned, alleging these cities generate more than 80% export of the country.

“By disrupting supply chains, they want to create fear in importers,” the minister alleged.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on December 1 tasked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and some other “soft-spoken” party leaders, including Ahsan Iqbal, to revive dialogue process with the PTI.

Earlier, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi offered the government to revive the stalled negotiation process by December 6 and his party would reconsider its plans to shut down Faisalabad on December 8. However, last night Imran made it clear that his party will not change its ‘Plan C’ unless the proposed judicial commission starts investigating the alleged massive rigging in the 2013 general elections.

Imran’s party has threatened to paralyse Faisalabad on December 8, Karachi on December 12, Lahore on December 15 and then a nationwide shutdown on the 18th if an independent audit of the 2013 election is not ordered.