ISLAMABAD: The second round of negotiations between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the coalition government entered its second consecutive day on Thursday.
The PTI delegation, led by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Barrister Ali Zafar, is in talks with the government side, which includes Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Kishwar Zehra, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani, and federal ministers Naveed Qamar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Tariq Bashir Cheema, and Ishaq Dar.
The negotiations are taking place under the leadership of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who took both delegations to the Senate’s Committee Room and returned to his chamber. During an informal talk with media persons at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today, PTI chief Imran Khan said that he had instructed Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry to only talk with the government if they were willing to dissolve the National Assembly.
“If the coalition government is ready to dissolve the National Assembly (NA) at once and hold general elections, then talk. If they repeat the same talk of holding elections in September or October, then there is no need,” said the PTI chief.
Imran Khan said that the “ball” was now in the federal government’s court on the matter of elections. He also emphasized that if elections are not held in Punjab on May 14, it means the Constitution has been violated. He stressed that his party always respected the Supreme Court and that the Constitution was supreme, not the Parliament.
First round of talks
During the first round of talks, which lasted for around two hours, both sides informed each other about their top leadership’s stance. After the meeting, sources revealed that the PTI presented three demands before the government delegation.
First, the national and provincial assemblies should be dissolved in May this year, and to extend polls beyond May 14, an amendment should be made to the Constitution. Second, if the government decides to amend the Constitution, then PTI’s resignations will have to be called back. Third, elections should be held across the country in July this year.
PTI and the ruling alliance finally came to the negotiating table following the Supreme Court’s orders to discuss the poll date. The talks come amid political tensions in the country and growing pressure from the opposition parties for early elections.
