ISLAMABAD: The federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) exchanged blame on Sunday over the deadlock in their negotiations, with the formation of a judicial commission remaining a central point of disagreement. The judicial commission is a key demand of PTI, stemming from their calls for an investigation into the violent protests on May 9, 2023, and the crackdown on party protesters in Islamabad in November 2023.
PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, also the spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee, told Geo News that a response to PTI’s demand for a judicial commission would be provided during the next round of talks on January 28. He pointed out that, as per the agreed timeline, no response could be given before the seven-day deadline.
Uncertainty surrounds the future of the ongoing talks, which have been facilitated by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stated that the talks were on hold, marking a shift from PTI’s earlier position of calling off the negotiations entirely. PTI had suspended the negotiations, accusing the government of non-cooperation and delaying the formation of the judicial commission.
The talks between PTI and the ruling coalition have been ongoing for nearly a month, with three rounds already held. The talks hit a stumbling block as PTI insisted that the formation of the judicial commission be a precondition for attending the fourth round of discussions. The government, however, said it would provide its written response to PTI’s demand during the next meeting.
On January 21, PTI founder Imran Khan called for a meeting with his party’s negotiation committee, with sources suggesting that the final stance on the negotiations would be clarified after that meeting.
Siddiqui criticized PTI for abruptly ending the talks, calling it a surprise to both the negotiation committee and the PTI itself. He pointed out that earlier, Barrister Gohar had cited Imran Khan’s message to call off the negotiations, only to later offer another justification about a police raid at the house of Sunni Ittehad Council leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Siddiqui added that Raza had firmly rejected the idea of continuing the negotiations.
Despite the challenges, Siddiqui reiterated the government’s readiness to meet on January 28 and stated that they would not be swayed by PTI’s threats or boycotts.
Barrister Gohar, speaking to Geo News, accused the government of delaying both the talks and the formation of the judicial commission. He stated that if the government was serious about the negotiations, they should take a positive step, and PTI would be willing to engage in discussions with Imran Khan.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in his remarks, declared that the negotiation process had officially ended after the seven-day deadline. He suggested that the government could announce the formation of the judicial commission, after which PTI would consider engaging in talks again. He added that if the government wanted PTI’s input on the commission’s terms of reference (TORs), they would discuss it with the party leadership.
