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PM forms committee to respond to PTI’s demands by Jan 28


ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that the PM has formed a committee to respond to the demands that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) presented in writing during the third round of govt-opposition talks on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference alongside spokesperson of the government’s negotiation committee Senator Irfan Siddiqui, he said the newly constituted committee comprises of all coalition partners, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). “The response of this committee to the demands will be final.”

During the third round of talks, leader of the opposition and the head of the PTI negotiating Committee Omar Ayub presented the charter of demands (CoD) before National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

The key demands in the CoD include forming two judicial commissions under the 2017 Inquiry Act, headed by either the Chief Justice of Pakistan or a senior Supreme Court judge. One commission would investigate the events surrounding Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, while the other would probe alleged incidents between November 24 and 27, including claims of deaths and disappearances. 

Sanaullah noted that PTI has been raising two key demands for the past 10–11 months. The first was the return of their “mandate,” for which they were asked to pursue legal channels. However, the opposition has now dropped this demand and did not bring up elections in the meeting, he said. 

The second demand, according to Sanaullah, was related to alleged politically motivated cases. He said the government had asked PTI to provide specific details, such as FIR numbers, of cases against their workers, but they had failed to do so. 

The PM’s aide dismissed the need for new commissions, saying that judicial reviews had already taken place on these matters. He also questioned PTI’s failure to provide a verified list of individuals allegedly killed or missing during the November incidents, calling their demands “nothing but propaganda.” 

Meanwhile, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the opposition had initially given the government seven days to respond but later agreed to seven working days. The government will now provide a reply by January 28, ahead of PTI’s deadline. 

He said that PTI’s CoD is more of a “charge sheet” against the government, filled with allegations rather than concrete proposals. However, he added, the government is committed to providing a written response and ensuring a constructive dialogue.

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