ISLAMABAD — The federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may soon begin political talks, after a rare goodwill gesture in parliament. On Wednesday, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met PTI representatives in his office and postponed disciplinary action against PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram for his prolonged absence from the assembly.
Sources said the meeting was attended by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. The Speaker suspended a vote on a resolution to penalize Waqas for being absent for over 40 days. The move was seen as an effort to ease tensions before potential negotiations. During the meeting, the Speaker stressed the need for PTI’s participation in the political process, a position both ministers supported.
The PTI delegation assured they would consult their parliamentary party and leadership before responding. Meanwhile, senior PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar met PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and former Speaker Asad Qaiser on the opposition benches, urging them to choose a political path so PPP could assist them.
Despite both sides expressing willingness for dialogue, sources confirmed that any formal process will require the approval of PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains in jail and opposes talks with the ruling parties. Interestingly, a majority of PTI lawmakers in Wednesday’s parliamentary party meeting supported the idea of negotiations, but insiders said Khan’s decision will be final.
Privately, PML-N and PPP leaders have told PTI members they are ready to help restore PTI’s political role — but only through formal negotiations. In the past, PTI has missed multiple opportunities for talks because Imran Khan insisted on direct engagement with the military establishment, which has shown no interest in such dialogue.