The government-Pakistan Awami Tehreek talks to end political deadlock failed on Wednesday as latter's insistence that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to step down. The two sides will now meet again on Friday but the insiders claimed that the government team was as helpless as was on the first day when it comes to the resignation of 'chote or little Mian' - who is ready to compromise on anything but not at the cost of his resignation.
The PML-N negotiators headed by two Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retired), the sources added, exhausted all available options to woo the PAT team but failed to divert their attention form the demand of 'Shahbaz Sharif's ouster'. With a gloomy face that indicates there is no hope of making the talks meaningful despite passage of several days, Ahsan Iqbal told reporters that the country's economy was picking up before the sit-ins, but has suffered heavily since the protests started.
"The government wants to end loadshedding in the country and the economy to grow at a rate of 6-7 percent which is not possible unless there is a political harmony in the country," said Iqbal, adding that they want matters to be resolved as soon as possible as it wants to put an end to the political uncertainty.
The PML-N leader said that parliament had evolved a consensus on the supremacy of law and the Constitution, and there will be no compromise on it as a 'new Pakistan' dream could not be fulfilled as political stability is key to economic stability. He said that there was a consensus that a thorough probe into the Model Town incident will be conducted, adding both sides will further deliberate on it on Friday. Ahsan said that PAT's experts would submit their draft on Friday, adding the consultation with about the economic reforms agenda put forth by the PAT will also be discussed.
He said that direct talks were being held between the government and the PAT. There is no third party involved in the negotiations, he added, the government side has given a draft of the proposed national reforms council to implement economic and social reforms agenda. He said PAT says its experts are examining the draft and would come out with counter proposals on Friday. He said the government registered FIR as per PAT desire and there is agreement on transparent inquiry into the incident. PAT president Raheeq Abbasi said negotiations with the opposition Jirga cannot progress until PM Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif step down.
"We have already shown flexibility in talks," he said. He alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was directly responsible for the Model Town tragedy, which left 14 workers of Minhajul Quran killed in June. "The report of the judicial commission investigating the Model Town killing, formed by the chief minister, has not been published yet. A few leaked sections of the report point towards the role of the Punjab government in the incident," he claimed.