KEY POINTS
- Talks between Pakistan’s coalition government and the opposition party, PTI, face an impasse.
- The opposition party demands jailed Imran Khan’s inclusion in talks.
- Despite two weeks of negotiations, PTI has yet to submit its demands in writing.
- PTI leaders await government approval to meet Imran Khan in jail.
- Govt committee’s spokesman expresses doubts about PTI’s ability to fulfil promises made during talks.
- PTI has set a January 31 deadline for addressing the party demands.
ISLAMABAD: The ongoing political negotiations between Pakistan’s coalition government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are likely to face deadlock with both sides refusing to budge on critical demands.
The third round of talks is scheduled for this week, however, the opposition demands the inclusion of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in the talks, while the government maintains that PTI must submit its demands in writing before proceeding further.
Talking to WE News English, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the spokesperson for the government committee, expressed concerns that the absence of written demands could seriously impede the negotiations. He pointed out that two weeks of discussions had yielded minimal progress.
Siddiqui mentioned that PTI’s negotiating team had been allowed to meet with their chairman to foster trust, yet the party has not upheld its promise to provide their demands in writing.
He highlighted that PTI’s requests included the release of Imran Khan and other party members, the formation of judicial commissions, and the identification of 45 missing persons. However, when pressed for specifics on missing individuals, PTI reportedly conceded that no concrete list has been compiled.
The current deadlock arises after months of escalating political strife, leading to the much-anticipated negotiations between the two factions, which began with meetings on December 27, 2024, and January 2, 2025.
In their last encounter, both the government and PTI’s negotiation teams agreed that the former ruling party would unveil its charter of demands in the following session after consulting with their imprisoned leader. Furthermore, they decided that the third round of talks would be scheduled post-PTI’s meeting with Khan.
PTI has consistently reiterated its demands for the release of the party founder, Imran Khan, and party members, as well as the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 riots and the November 26 protests from the previous year.
Despite a generally positive atmosphere during the initial meetings, neither party has reached out to the National Assembly speaker’s office to arrange the third session.
Regarding the issue of written demands, PTI negotiator Asad Qaiser insists that the verbal requests made in the earlier discussions should now be treated as official minutes.
Speaking to the media outside Adiala jail on Monday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar emphasized the importance of meeting Khan before the third round of negotiations. He noted that they had informed the government’s negotiation team of their need to consult with their jailed founder and expressed hope for a meeting soon, though confirmation had not yet been received.
“Fingers crossed, we might be able to see Khan tomorrow,” he remarked.
Gohar also denied reports of clandestine talks with Khan’s wife, former First Lady Bushra Bibi, asserting that only the two formal rounds of negotiations had taken place, led by a committee designated by Khan himself.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza, head of the Sunni Ittehad Council and PTI’s negotiation committee member, mentioned that the government had not yet granted permission for PTI leaders to meet Khan.
PTI’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that while the party had no objections to submitting written demands, they were unable to do so without first conferring with Khan. He lamented the lack of response from the National Assembly speaker’s office regarding the meeting approval, even though the government had indicated agreement to facilitate it.
The delay in PTI leaders’ meeting with the former PM has been attributed to unresolved standard operating procedures (SOPs) concerning the meeting logistics.
Meanwhile, Irfan Siddiqui, PML-N’s Senate parliamentary leader and a spokesperson for the negotiating committee, has briefed PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on the current state of affairs.
The uncertainty surrounding the PTI-government dialogue coincides with PTI’s ultimatum for a resolution by January 31, a timeline that Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah suggested should be extended to February 28.
As PTI seeks Khan’s release via an executive order, the government has cautioned that any shift in the former ruling party’s position could derail efforts to alleviate political tensions nationwide.
“It appears PTI’s leadership is not aligned on the issue of formalizing their demands in writing with the government,” the Senator commented to reporters last week. He further indicated that Qaiser’s remarks suggested difficulties in meeting the commitments made to the government team during the previous negotiations.
