Government to only enter talks if PTI calls off sit-ins, says Rashid

PM to hold consultive meeting with party leaders on Monday

ISLAMABAD: The government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were at loggerheads on Sunday over the issue of holding negotiations, with the former stating that they would only enter talks if Imran Khan calls of his scheduled sit-ins across the country. 

Information Minister Pervez Rashid said on Sunday that there was need for the government to enter into talks with the PTI as it had already written to the Supreme Court regarding the formation of a judicial commission to probe allegations of rigging during last year's polls, as demanded by the PTI.

“The government already wrote a letter to the Supreme Court on August 13, asking it to form a judicial commission to probe PTI’s allegation of rigging in the elections. Now, on what issue should the government hold talks with the PTI?” Rashid said, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

He further added that if the PTI chief is serious about the formation of the commission and entering talks, he should first cancel his plans to bring the country to standstill and announce an end to his sit-in Islamabad.

The minister said that it was PTI chief who had called off talks last time as he called back his negotiation team while the government’s committee, led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, led team was sitting at the negotiation table. He urged the PTI chief to first show tolerance and then demand talks.

Referring to Imran's press conference earlier in the day, Rashid said there was no need of holding negotiations as Imran had already announced he would not accept the commission’s verdict if it goes against his will.

Condemning Imran's statement where in he had allegedly claimed that had he been in power, he would not had allow the army to start an operation in North Warizistan, Rashid said the PTI chief's aim is to attack on Parliament, the army and the economy.

The information minister also poked fun at Imran, saying he suffered from "memory loss" due to a head injury he received during his election campaign last year.

Regarding the PTI’s plan to 'shutdown' Faisalabad on December 8, Rashid said Imran’s attempt to lock down Faisalabad will fail just like all his earlier plans.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned from United Kingdom, on Saturday held talks with Dar and other senior leaders of the party.

The premier was suggested that negotiations with the PTI should only be resumed after consulting parliamentary leaders of various political parties in Parliament.

Nawaz will hold consultative meetings with political leaders on Monday to devise a strategy regarding PTI’s ongoing protest.