ISLAMABAD: The long-awaited negotiations between the federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have commenced under the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Monday.

The first meeting was presided over by the Speaker between the committees representing the federal government and the PTI. The PTI would present its demands in writing to the next meeting of the negotiation committee after the first round of parleys ended in a conducive environment.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over a meeting held at the Parliament House, said that the next session will be held on January 2 and PTI’s team would present a charter of their demands in the next meeting.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, and MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar.

On the PTI side, the delegation included former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

However, key PTI members Omar Ayub, Ali Amin, and Salman Akram Raja skipped Monday’s session due to prior commitments, including court appearances and international trips.

While addressing a press conference after the meeting, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq thanked the government’s leadership and senior leaders of the opposition for holding the talks in a positive environment. “We discussed things about past and present and I hope that if we work together for the country’s betterment, it will strengthen the political stability, strengthen democracy and help in dealing with challenges faced by Pakistan,” the speaker said.

He also requested media to present development positively as the meeting’s environment was conducive. “We want to bring betterment in Pakistan and end the political polarisation in and outside the parliament,” he concluded.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui read out the communiqué regarding the government-opposition parleys, mentioning that both sides described the talks as a positive development and emphasised the importance of keeping the negotiations ongoing.

He said that both committees expressed goodwill, saying that Parliament is the appropriate forum for resolving issues.

It was agreed that both sides stand united in the fight against terrorism. A tribute was also paid to the martyrs for their sacrifice. There was also a declaration of support for standing alongside the forces in the war against terrorism.

Speaking to the media following the meeting, Asad Qaiser said PTI conveyed its stance clearly. “We have demanded the release of all prisoners, including Imran Khan, and called for the formation of a judicial commission. We will present a complete charter of demands on 2nd January,” he said.

He added that the party had also requested contact with Imran Khan, a demand the government accepted. “We discussed the release of workers detained in prisons. Today’s discussion was preliminary; formal negotiations will commence on 2 January,” Asad Qaiser stated.

Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza clarified that PTI is not seeking any unconstitutional relief but rather a fact-finding mission. “We want investigations into the events of May 9 and November 26. We are advocating for the release of political prisoners,” he said.

He added that the release of political detainees is incomplete without Imran Khan. “The government has all the authority to fulfil our demands. We have also called for the formation of a judicial commission,” Raza emphasised. When asked by a journalist whether all PTI’s demands would be accepted, Hamid Raza replied, “This is just the beginning; how can I comment on the conclusion?” MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said that negotiations are an important part of democracy as dialogues can resolve problems.

Speaking to the media, MQM-P Convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui stressed that negotiations must take place under all circumstances. He pointed out that the results of the talks would determine their future course of action.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024