Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday his government was unwilling to talk with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) due to the party’s nation-wide violent riots on May 9.

The prime minister, in a tweet, acknowledged that dialogue is deeply embedded in the political process, which helps democracy mature and evolve. “Many political and constitutional breakthroughs occurred when political leaders sat across the table to craft a consensus,” the premier mentioned. But he said there is a major difference when it comes to the Khan-led party. “The anarchists & arsonists who wear the garb of politicians and attack the symbols of the State do not qualify for a dialogue. They should rather be held to account for their militant actions.” The PTI had last week announced the constitution of a seven-member team for negotiating with the incumbent government on the direction of its chairman.

The negotiation team comprises PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former defence minister Pervez Khattak, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, and former ministers Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and Aun Abbasi.

In a similar statement to that of the prime minister, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb also rejected the PTI chief’s offer for talks. Reacting to his offer, the information minister said: “Dialogue cannot be held with those who set the country on fire, create chaos and anarchy, fills the minds of masses with hatred, and harbour armed groups.”

She said that Khan was not appealing for negotiations, he was, in fact, seeking an “NRO”. The information minister said talks cannot be held with those who “poisoned the minds of the youth”, the “leaders of the criminals and terrorists”.