Daily Times

As the ruling coalition and embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have officially entered dialogues, the latter sought government’s “timeframe” in connection with progress on their demands.

Talking to journalists outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, following a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, the former ruling party’s Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday said: “There should be progress on our demands within [a specified] time frame.” “Dialogues should be held within [a specified] timeframe,” he said, quoting the incarcerated PTI founder, who has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I – one of the dozens cases registered against the former premier since his ouster from power in April 2022.

The development came a day after the ruling coalition and the PTI came to table to defuse political tensions in the cash-strapped country. Negotiating committees, formed by the government and the PTI, conducted their much-hyped meeting in a conducive environment and resolved to continue dialogue process. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the meeting, had said that the next session will be held on January 2 and PTI’s team would present a charter of their demands in the huddle.

During his interaction with journalists, the PTI chairman said that he briefed Khan on their talks with the government. “It was a routine meeting that lasted for half an hour.” The PTI founder expressed his satisfaction over initiating the negotiation process, he added.Gohar expressed hope that the government would address their legitimate demands.

Moreover, Imran Khan said that for the talk between his party and the government to reap meaningful results, he needs to meet his negotiation team to understand the issues properly. As per a post on his official X account, during his conversation with his lawyers, the former premier – while terming the efforts of the party’s negotiation committee as a “good thing” – said that it was important for him to “meet the negotiation team to make the process meaningful and for him to have a proper understanding of the issues”.

Imran nominated MNA Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza as the spokesperson for the party’s negotiation committee. He said that if the government was interested in carrying out “fruitful negotiations”, it had to meet two demands of the PTI: The release of under-trial political prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission consisting of senior judges on the incidents of May 9 and November 26. Imran said that the party would postpone its civil disobedience movement if the demands were met, however, he expressed his fear that the government would sideline their demand for a judicial commission.