Govt warns of dissolving negotiation committee if PTI skips upcoming meeting

Islamabad: With the fate of the ongoing negotiation process between the ruling coalition and the PTI hanging in the balance, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson of the government’s negotiating committee, has warned that their committee will be dissolved if the former government misses the fourth round. Interviews scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday). The development comes only days after the Imran Khan-led party decided to boycott the fourth round of negotiations with the government over “delays” in setting up judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023 violent protests and the crackdown on the party against the party and the crackdown on the party against side against side Demonstrators in Islamabad. November 26 last year. Siddiqui described PTI’s stance on the ongoing talks as “illogical”, saying the former ruling party took six weeks to narrate its demands to the government team, while the ruling coalition had just asked for seven working days to respond to Khan. requirements. “There are seven working days in the joint statement,” he added. The PTI and the ruling coalition have been participating in talks for almost a month aimed at easing political tensions in the country. So far, the two sides have held three rounds of negotiations. The dialogue process has come to an end as the Khan party is of the opinion that the fourth round of negotiations will only take place if the government has created a judicial commission, while the ruling alliance has said it would respond to the next round of negotiations in writing. Senator Siddique had said the day before: “Within the agreed community, no response can be given before seven day periods … in the next round of session on January 28, we will respond to PTI on the Judicial Committee.” During an interaction with Geo News today, the PML-N senator said, “I don’t know whether PTI will attend tomorrow’s meeting or not.” “I think National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq [who plays the role of mediator] is in touch with PTI,” he added while replying to a question. Criticizing PTI’s political behavior, Siddique said, “Negotiations are a serious and democratic process.” He also said that the former ruling party had brought negotiations to the streets. Responding to another question, the PML-N senator asked, “If the talks do not continue, what will the negotiating committee do? “The government will give [its] answer to whatever PTI does outside. “Contacts, actions between parties in the spirit of democracy”                      Meanwhile, Senator Siddiiqui met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him about the talks with the PTI committee. Prime Minister Shehbaz said that contacts and negotiations between political parties are the spirit of democracy. “These contacts help prepare a common strategy to solve the problems facing the country and the nation,” he added. The Prime Minister argued that avoiding negotiations is an undemocratic approach that creates tension and also damages the atmosphere of national solidarity. The Prime Minister added that Pakistan does not need more agitation, scraping and confrontation, but harmony and understanding to adopt a common strategy to revive the economy and eradicate terrorism. “With the grace of Allah, the country has made progress and its dignity has also raised the international level,” he added. “We will not allow someone to build obstacles on the way to progress and prosperity through undemocratic behavior,” the prime minister warned.