ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday invited both the government and opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiation committees for talks today (Monday). The speaker welcomed the formation of an eight members’ negotiation committee by the Prime Minister.
The committee formed by the Prime Minister, comprises senior members of the ruling coalition, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister’s political aide Rana Sanaullah and Senator Irfan Siddiqui a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s house.
The committee also includes Pakistan People Party (PPP) senior and former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP leader Naveed Qamar, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Privatisation Aleem Khan, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Sardar Khalid Magsi.
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Sadiq extended an invitation to both the government and opposition to engage in talks in good faith, assuring that the Speaker’s office remains open to all members.
The PTI committee comprises Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
According to a statement from the NA Secretariat, Speaker Sadiq called on the members of both committees to meet on Monday, at 11:30 a.m. He further stated that he would personally meet them in his chambers at the Parliament House to facilitate the discussions.
PTI’s two main demands include the release of his party’s workers and a judicial probe into the May 9 and November 26 incidents.
In a statement posted on PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s account of ‘X’, the former prime minister said that the government has been given until December 22 [Sunday]. If by Sunday the government does not show that they are serious about our demands, the first phase of our civil disobedience movement will begin, which includes a boycott of (foreign currency) remittances.
The statement says that this incompetent government will have to pay a heavy price for it. They have no idea how fatal a civil disobedience movement could prove to be for their illegitimate government, it said, adding that the government should immediately begin negotiations if they are serious about our demands.
It may be noted the Khan does not personally have access to his account.
Khan’s sister Aleema Khan talking to reporters on Saturday last outside Adiala Jail said while quoting her brother said that ‘movement for getting halted remittances from overseas’ would begin today (Sunday). “If the government contacted PTI for talks regarding these two demands then he will withdraw the movement for getting halted remittances to Pakistan”, she said while quoting Khan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024