ISLAMABAD: Fawad Chaudhry, the Senior Vice President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has accused PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal of sabotaging negotiations between the PTI and the PDM-led government.
Speaking to a private news channel on Monday, Chaudhry said that pressure had been exerted on the PTI to call off negotiations following a raid by law-enforcement agencies on the house of PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
However, PTI chief Imran Khan had asked the party to continue with the process. Chaudhry claimed that the government had denied any link to the raid.
Chaudhry also stated that one faction of the PDM did not want negotiations to take place, and suggested that this faction was enjoying the support of Maryam Nawaz.
He added that if the government announced the annual budget, it would add to the troubles of the people. Chaudhry claimed that 70% of the negotiations had been successful, as the PTI wants elections to be held before the budget, while the PDM wants them to be held after the budget.
Fawad Chaudhry emphasizes date for elections
He emphasized the importance of setting a date for the elections and called for the constitution to be amended to push elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forward.
The PTI leader said that the party had sat down for negotiations with the PDM upon the orders of the Supreme Court, despite the PDM’s claims that the PTI did not want to negotiate.
Chaudhry alleged that the PDM was trying to incite the PTI but the party had not responded. He called for clarity on whether the establishment was backing the PDM or not.
The third and final round of talks between the PTI and the PDM-led government is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 9 pm.
Earlier, Khawaja Asif had expressed skepticism about the negotiations, stating that he did not see a “positive outcome” due to the PTI’s conditions. Meanwhile, Javed Latif had argued that talks should not be held with “terrorists” and those who “want to destroy national institutions.”
