- Web Desk
- Yesterday
Govt-PTI talks over as committees dissolved: Siddiqui
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- Web Desk
- 5 Hours ago
ISLAMABAD: The government has officially ended negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after the party withdrew from talks and rejected the prime minister’s renewed offer for dialogue.
Spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee and a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui confirmed the development. “PTI came to the talks in a rush and left just as quickly,” he remarked during an interview with Urdu News.
“Their [PTI’s] sole demand was the immediate release of Imran Khan and other leaders, which would require them to ask the prime minister to request a pardon recommendation from the president.”
Siddiqui clarified that the dialogue process had neither stalled nor broken down—it was simply over. “Today is January 31. PTI had set this as a deadline, which has now passed. They have also dissolved their committee. So the talks are effectively over.”
Govt considered PTI’s demands seriously
Regarding PTI’s charter of demands, Siddiqui said that several points were considered seriously. “Even their key demand for a judicial commission was not outright rejected. However, legal experts advised that forming such a commission while cases are pending in court is not feasible. We were open to further discussions with their legal experts to find a middle ground.”
The PML-N leader noted that other confidence-building measures were also in the works but remained confidential. “We prepared a document as a working paper, not a final draft, and were open to refining it had PTI engaged in further discussions.”
Negotiations not in PTI’s DNA
When asked why PTI abandoned the talks, Siddiqui said, “Negotiations are not in PTI’s DNA. Their approach is rooted in street protests, confrontations, and unrest. Whenever they have entered negotiations, they have exited in a similar fashion.”
He revealed that PTI had requested the release of several leaders, including Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Ijaz Chaudhry, Yasmin Rashid, and Mehmood-ur-Rasheed. “Their primary demand was the release of these individuals. Other issues, like the judicial commission, were secondary.”
Siddiqui emphasised that the only legal way for these leaders to be released was through a presidential pardon. “PTI needs to approach the prime minister for this recommendation. There is no other path to their release.”
The senator noted that despite PTI’s earlier statements, the government was committed to keeping the dialogue process open until January 31. “We had resolved to continue talks regardless of any external developments. Even when Imran Khan made derogatory remarks against the prime minister during negotiations, we did not react. Despite this, PTI abruptly ended the talks.”
He added, “PTI’s decision sends a clear message that they are not interested in continuing the dialogue process. We had planned for our committee to remain active until 31 January, after which it will also be effectively dissolved.”
The spokesperson described PTI as a unique phenomenon in Pakistan’s political landscape. “I have seen political parties and alliances come together and fall apart, prime ministers ousted, jailed, and even hanged. But PTI is an anomaly in Pakistan’s history—it embodies the unfortunate slogan, ‘No Khan, No Pakistan.’”
Journalists should have been listened over Peca
On the issue of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), Siddiqui acknowledged that broader consultation should have been conducted. “I personally believe we need to listen to journalists’ concerns and address them through amendments. Genuine journalists will not be affected by this law. It targets those who misuse modern technology for malicious activities.”
He assured that he had spoken to the prime minister about addressing journalists’ reservations and would continue to work on this issue beyond his official responsibilities.
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