ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday finally sat down at the negotiating table to discuss the date of elections following Supreme Court orders.
Sources told JEE News that in the first round of talks – which lasted for nearly two hours – in Committee Room No. 3 of the Parliament House, the two sides briefed each other on the position of their top leadership. The second meeting will be held tomorrow.
The government delegation included Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar.
The opposition delegation included PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and senior party legal expert Barrister Ali Zafar.
The delegation informed the government about PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s position on the elections and the procedure for conducting the elections.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Gilani said that the ruling parties will consult each other and take a decision. “Whatever decision is made, it will be based on input from all parties.”
Talking to the media, Shah Mehmood Qureshi ended the consultation after two hours and emphasized that political parties find solutions to problems through dialogue.
“We have entered the talks with the spirit of reaching a decision […] but we will not allow the talks to be used as a delaying tactic in the elections,” the PTI vice-chairman said.
After the meeting, sources told JEE News that PTI presented three demands to the government delegation:
- The National and Provincial Assemblies should be dissolved in May this year and the constitution should be amended to extend the elections beyond May 14.
- If the government decides to amend the constitution, the resignations of PTI will have to be recalled.
- Elections should be held across the country in July this year.
Fazl stays away from talks
In his speech in the National Assembly earlier today, when he received the vote of confidence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government would hold conditional talks with the PTI.
“The coalition parties have decided to negotiate with the PTI in the Senate and we will send our representatives in this regard today, but the discussion will be only on the holding of elections across the country.”
The meeting is important at a time when the country is witnessing a severe political and economic crisis as political forces are at loggerheads not only with each other but also with the Supreme Court.
The court had directed the political parties to decide the date of the elections by April 26, but there was no progress till the deadline. In today’s hearing, the Supreme Court said it cannot compel the parties to negotiate.
Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial said, “The court cannot force [the parties] to negotiate. The court only wants the implementation of the constitution so that the dispute is resolved,” said Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial.
Etihad chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – who is also president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) – said his party was against talks and would not be part of talks with PTI.
Talking to journalists, Fazal said that consultation is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), not political parties.
“The Supreme Court is forcing us to negotiate; all political parties are trying to convince one person [Khan] and we cannot do that,” the JUI-F chief said. – said the head of FK.
The political turmoil that followed Khan’s ouster in April last year led to a severe economic downturn, with the rupee falling to historic lows against the dollar and foreign exchange reserves less than covering a month’s worth of imports.
