Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday strongly denied claims of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz that the government was in touch with certain PTI leaders to call off the 'million march' on Islamabad scheduled for August 14. "Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif wanted to have a word with Imran Khan but the PTI chief refused to talk to him and there is also no other contact between government and the party leaders," he told a private TV channel over telephone from his native home town, Multan.
Qureshi said time for talks with the government has gone past and the decision of going ahead with the long march was final.
"Some of government ministers are spreading rumours to confuse our workers," he claimed.
He lashed out at the government for invoking Article 245 of the Constitution to invite army in the federal capital for the aid of civil authorities, saying the government misused this article.
"The government, by calling army in Islamabad, wants to scare PTI workers but we are determined to carry on with the August 14 march," he said, adding that "our workers won't clash with the military or any other security force".
When his attention was drawn to the fact that an electoral reforms committee has been constituted, Qureshi said the PTI would extend full co-operation to the committee. However, he added that the government was not serious in reforming the country's electoral process.
Earlier, Political Secretary to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Dr Asif Kirmani had told the same channel that the government has established contact with the PTI leadership in a bid to convince them to call off the long march.
"Some of our party leaders are in touch with PTI leaders for holding a dialogue in order to call off their long march," said Kirmani.
He said the government's door was open for talks with PTI and that party chief Imran Khan was requested to discuss issues on a dialogue table instead of launching the long march.
Sources said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has been tasked to woo Imran to call off his party's million-man long march.
They added that as a result of background contacts, both Nisar and Imran are expected to meet on August 4 to discuss the issues and demands of the PTI.
"Pakistan cannot afford long marches at a time when its valiant forces are engaged in the Zarb-i-Azb operation," Kirmani remarked.
He said an electoral reforms committee had been formed therefore Imran should discuss ideas for reforms in parliament instead of on the streets.
"The prime minister is closely monitoring the situation from Lahore. He will be back in Islamabad on Monday and is expected to hold meetings with senior ministers," Kirmani said.
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