Government Promises Response to PTI’s Demands Within Seven Days Amid Tensions Over Judicial Commissions and Al Qadir Trust Case
ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the government assured the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of a response to their charter of demands within seven working days after PTI warned of a boycott in future talks if the government did not form judicial commissions to probe the May 9 and November 26 incidents.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, part of the government’s negotiation team, told Dawn that the demands had been shared with all ruling coalition allies, and their suggestions were being gathered to ensure a well-rounded response. The committee formed under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet soon to finalize the government’s reply. The agreed-upon deadline to present the response to PTI is January 27 or 28.
Siddiqui emphasized that the government had not refused to form a judicial commission, countering media reports that spread misinformation and could hinder the dialogue process. He also mentioned that the response to PTI would be presented before the National Assembly Speaker in the next meeting.
The talks came under strain after PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, who met with Imran Khan in jail, stated that the party would not participate in the fourth round of talks if the government failed to commit to forming judicial commissions on the May 9 and Nov 26 incidents within seven days. He stressed that without these commissions, further discussions would be meaningless.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja warned that unless they were granted unrestricted access to party founder Imran Khan, the party would exit the talks by January 28. Raja reiterated that PTI was open to negotiations with all political stakeholders, including the establishment.
PTI’s legal expert, Faisal Chaudhry, stressed that the party’s interest in negotiations was for the country’s benefit and not to seek any personal advantage. Imran Khan, he clarified, was not concerned about his imprisonment and had only called for judicial commissions to investigate the incidents of May 9 and November 26, making clear that the negotiations were not about his release.
PTI’s push for judicial commissions came after three rounds of meetings, the latest of which took place on January 16. During this meeting, PTI presented its demands, including the formation of the commissions and the release of party prisoners.
In another development, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan announced that the party would challenge the verdict in the £190 million Al Qadir Trust case in the Islamabad High Court. He criticized the ruling and raised questions about financial transfers made by Hasan Nawaz, son of former PM Nawaz Sharif. Barrister Gohar, commenting on the case, reiterated that the £190 million case was about a trust and not corruption, asserting that Imran Khan was not involved in any wrongdoing.
PTI leaders, including Asad Qaiser, confirmed that they would approach the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday (today) to contest the case. Qaiser also hinted at a potential alliance with opposition parties, claiming that Imran Khan remained the most popular leader in the country.
