Islamabad: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq have decided to end political tensions, a private television channel said on Thursday, citing sources.
According to sources, this came after the PTI leader summoned prominent figures of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) NA Speaker Sadiq as the PTI resumed its agitation.
The two politicians discussed the importance of reducing polarization and finding common ground for the greater national interest.
According to an insider, the meeting focused on bridging the gap between the former ruling party and the government by encouraging dialogue and mutual understanding.
Sadyk said both parties should work to persuade their detractors to take a more moderate position for the betterment of the country.
For his part, Kaiser said he is willing to consult with party members to develop cooperation. Both leaders agreed to ensure transparency in the progress of talks.
Their meeting the day before was reportedly an “icebreaker”. Sources said that the organized PTI and the government are ready to sit at the negotiating table without any conditions.
However, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar said formal negotiations with the former ruling party have not yet begun.
He also said that although informal exchanges have taken place from time to time, formal talks have not started between the two sides, communication channels have not been restored with the party led by Imran Khan, or the committee has started talks.
Civil disobedience must stop
Although the party has not yet announced that it will walk again, it has said it will launch a civil disobedience movement later this month unless the government accepts its demands, including the repeal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
PTI leader Shaukat Usufzai told Geo News that the call for civil disobedience will be withdrawn if talks with the government begin.
However, he warned that the government should be prepared for civil disobedience if the talks do not start. Yousufzai said PTI believes in the power of dialogue but expressed frustration that the government is not taking these discussions seriously.
Yousufzai said that in the past the government always started the dialogue phase, not the opposition.
According to Ousufzai, there has been no dialogue between the PTI and the government so far.
PTI leaders urged the government to take this issue seriously and hold talks with the opposition to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
In an interview to Geo News, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram answered a question about the sudden change in the party’s stance on the talks.
He stressed that negotiations should be an ongoing process. According to Akram, the main purpose of the protest is to open channels of communication and dialogue is needed to address people’s concerns.
He said, the founder-chairman of PTI has called for the formation of a committee to start the talks.
The former prime minister said PTI is open to dialogue with anyone seeking constitutional and legal solutions to the ongoing issues.
He said, the party is ready to cooperate with anyone who wants to seek progress in accordance with the law and the constitution.
