Dawn.com
December 26, 2024
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and PTI leader Asad Qaiser address a joint press conference outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on December 26. — DawnNews TV
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Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza has said that the PTI will formally give the government time until January 31 to conclude ongoing negotiations.
After winning the polls in February, PTI-backed candidates faced problems joining any political party registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. PTI founder Imran Khan
sent his winning candidates in the national, KP and Punjab assemblies into the SIC, which was an ally of PTI.
Since Imran’s
incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into
violence amid
state repression.
Following the turmoil, Imran established a
five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone,” signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also
formed a committee with ruling coalition members.
The first meeting between the government and PTI committees was held on Monday, marking the start of long-awaited negotiations to ease political tensions. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan
said that the ex-premier called for a time frame for the negotiations during which some progress should be made. In response, senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah stated that the government would “
accommodate such a request”.
Flanked by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and PTI leader Asad Qaiser, Raza told a press conference outside Adiala Jail today that the party had settled on a January 31 deadline for the talks.
“The cut-off date for negotiations is January 31,” Raza said. “On January 2, when our committee meets the government to continue the negotiations, Omar Ayub will formally give them this deadline.”