ISLAMABAD: After a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in a “controlled environment”, the former ruling party on Sunday announced their readiness for a third round of talks with the government to ease political tensions in the country.
At a joint press conference alongside senior PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan and Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) head Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who also serves as the spokesperson for the negotiation team, urged the government to make progress on their demands during the upcoming dialogue.
Raza called on the government to establish an “impartial judicial commission” headed by a senior Supreme Court judge to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024.
After meeting Imran Khan, PTI says ‘ready for third round of talks’
Raza emphasized the importance of addressing PTI’s concerns, stating that a genuine dialogue was crucial for restoring political stability and ensuring the country’s progress. He further stressed the need for a conducive environment for meaningful negotiations, including the release of detained PTI workers.
The announcement comes after a series of meetings between the government and the PTI delegation, facilitated by the SIC. The first two rounds of talks yielded limited progress, with both sides remaining firm on their respective positions.
The government has yet to officially respond to the PTI’s call for a third round of talks and their demands for an independent judicial commission.
Raza said, “We are ready for the third round of talks.” He urged the government’s negotiation team to work on forming a judicial commission before the next round of dialogue.
“No progress has been made in the negotiations so far,” he said, emphasizing the need for the government to act on their demands, particularly the establishment of the judicial commission.
Stressing that the release of political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission were integral to their demands, Raza said that PTI would submit their two demands in writing to the government’s team during the upcoming session.
Raza warned that the dialogue would no longer continue if the judicial commission was not constituted and the former ruling party would not extend the deadline for talks with the government beyond January 31.
Responding to a question, Raza said their meeting with Khan was held in a “controlled environment” and that they were given go-ahead for the sitting late at night on Saturday.
He explained that two members of their team Hamid Khan and Salman Akram Raja were unable to reach the venue on time due to foggy conditions in the area.
Raza also warned that the verdict in the £190 million corruption case could create problem, however Khan had directed them to ensure the ruling did not disrupt the ongoing negotiation process.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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