Defense Minister Pervaiz Khattak, the head of government committee tasked by Prime Minister Imran Khan to hold dialogue with opposition, rejected the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl's (JUI-F) demand of the PM's resignation and warned that opposition would be responsible for 'anything that happens' if the opposition does not engage in dialogue with the government." "We are here for dialogue. We have offered you to talk to us. We have fulfilled our responsibility. If you don't talk to us, whatever the chaos that would follow afterwards, it would be harmful for the country-it would create problems for you," the defense minister said while addressing a joint press conference with Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.
"You don't want to sit across the table and hold dialogue with us. And when the government machinery would jump into action as per law, you would blame us-that the government is being unjust to you," he said.
Khattak added, "If the opposition is the well wisher of this country, they should sit down with us and let us know about their demands. If they don't, it means they are well wishers of Modi. It would mean their agenda is not political but something else."
He said the opposition's plan to launch Azadi March-cum-sit-in on October 31 has put the Kashmir issue at backburner. "This is causing a huge loss to Kashmir issue that has landed on backburner now. This is not helping Pakistan and Kashmir."
The defense minister said the opposition did not present any demand to the government, in the Parliament or any other forum, except PM's resignation. "And this demand is simply not acceptable. This is not going to happen. The opposition better come up with concrete and logical demands instead of getting into a useless time wasting exercise only for personal interests and political mileage. Remember the conditions in our country-we can't afford destabilization."
The minister defended his decision to include Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani in the government committee mandated to hold dialogue. "The chairman Senate is a wise man who knows politics." Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal might be included in the committee on Monday (tomorrow), he said.
Khattak said the opposition is insistent to continue its protest "fearing that if Imran Khan's government completes its five-year term, there (opposition's) politics would be over."
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) sit-in in August 2014 was based on "solid reasons after the parliament, courts, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)-all doors were closed," he was referring to PTI's unmet demand to probe alleged rigging in 2013 general elections.
Moreover, Khattak said the PTI's plan to lock down the federal capital in November 2016 was linked to PTI's demand that the Panama Leaks scandal be thoroughly probed and the lockdown was averted after Supreme Court intervened and announced that it would hear the related case.
"We faced shelling, torture and all that by the then government- I myself faced heavy shelling-as the then government tried to stop us from entering Islamabad. All our struggle was based on principles and logical demands."
Shafqat Mahmood expressed his concern over participation of seminary students in the JUI-F's protests movement. "As education minister, I am deeply concerned that madrassah (seminary) students are being dragged into this agitation."
Earlier on Friday, the defense minister on the directives of the PM formed a seven-member committee to hold dialogue with JUI-F and other opposition parties ahead of JUI-F's planned Azadi March cum sit-in.
It includes the defense minister himself as head of the committee, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, Religious Affairs Minister Noor ul Haq Qadri and MNA Asad Umar.
The committee has been mandated to hold dialogue with opposition parties in general and JUI-F in particular as part of the PTI-led federal government's push to avert the latter's Azadi March on October 31.
A PTI leader told Business Recorder that the PM decided to give a go-ahead to the defense minister to form the seven-member committee after meeting a delegation of religious figures on Friday, who advised the PM to adopt the approach of consultation instead of confrontation in dealing with the looming crisis.
A few days back, the PM assigned the defense minister to initiate dialogue with JUI-F. However, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman has rejected the government's dialogue offer saying there would be no possibility of negotiations till the PM resigns, a demand the PTI is unwilling to entertain.
The religious figures in Friday meeting assured the PM of playing their role in convincing Fazl to soften his stance regarding the PM's resignation, the source said.
INP adds: The committee constituted by government, for holding dialogue with Maulana Fazlur Rehman Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief, Defence Minister Parvaiz Khattak, who is head of the committee contacted Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi on telephone.
Ch Parvez Elahi could not attend committee meeting on Saturday due to personal engagements. He told Parvaiz Khattak that Insha-Allah he will attend the dialogue committee meeting on Tuesday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
Copyright Independent News Pakistan, 2019
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