LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is presiding over a meeting of the ruling coalition today (Wednesday) ahead of negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the directive of the Supreme Court.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders participated in the meeting. are
The Attorney General of Pakistan and Federal Ministers are also participating in the meeting.
According to the sources, a briefing is being given by the legal team on the election fund case and negotiations with PTI in the meeting.
Earlier today, JEE News reported that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif – who is currently in Saudi Arabia – is virtually likely to attend the meeting.
During the last meeting of the coalition parties, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari proposed talks with PTI, but PDM chief Fazal rejected the proposal.
PMLN sources claim that the party leadership has asked Ayaz Sadiq to contact PTI’s Asad Qaiser and both have agreed to meet today. However, PTI chief Imran Khan has clearly said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi has the mandate for negotiations.
On April 20, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of the petition till April 27, after the main ruling parties PPP and Muslim League (N) assured the Supreme Court that they would sit down with the PTI on April 26 to resolve the issue. Will try to find a solution. Date of election
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial, comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, has asked for a progress report on the negotiations by April 27.
‘Disagreement’ among ruling allies
A dispute arose between the ruling parties over talks with the PTI on April 18, sources told JEE News, after the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) tried to bring the two sides to the negotiating table.
PDM allies met in Islamabad after which Prime Minister Shehbaz called a meeting on the political situation in the country and JI’s negotiation efforts.
During the meeting, the parties in the coalition government differed on talks with the opposition party as some felt that PTI Chairman Imran Khan could not be trusted while others insisted that political forces should not close the channels for talks. .
Sources said that PPP Chairman Bilawal had insisted on talks with the opposition, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party, Balochistan Awami Party, Chaudhry Salik, and Mohsin Dawar. are supporting them.
Bilawal said closing the door to negotiations was against his party’s principles and “undemocratic”.
But the representatives of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamhuri Watan Party (JWP) rejected Bilawal’s opinion and said that it is not in the interest of the alliance to negotiate with the ousted prime minister. He was removed from office by a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly in April last year.
Later, the PPP chief also held a separate meeting to convince the JUI(F) chief.
Following the Supreme Court’s directive, both Bilawal and Fazal rejected the order, calling the talks between political parties “gun talks” as directed by the court.
