The third round of negotiations between the government and the PTI, aimed at easing political tensions, is scheduled for Thursday, January 16.
A notice from the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat revealed that NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would chair the session at 11:30 AM in Parliament House.
Since the imprisonment of PTI founder Imran Khan last year on multiple charges, the relationship between PTI and the government, as well as the establishment, has soured. This period has seen protests that often escalated into violence amidst state crackdowns.
In response to the political turmoil, Imran Khan established a five-member committee tasked with initiating talks with “anyone,” signaling a shift in the party’s parliamentary strategy. In turn, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set up a similar committee with members of the ruling coalition.
The first meeting between the two sides took place on December 23, followed by a second session on January 2. However, little progress has been made so far, as PTI leadership has sought frequent consultations with Imran Khan to finalize their list of demands.
PTI MNA Asad Qaiser spoke to the media at Parliament House, expressing the party’s sincerity in the negotiations.
Following a meeting with Imran on Sunday, the PTI negotiation team was scheduled to meet with Speaker Sadiq today to formally submit the party’s demands in writing.
This meeting in prison, reportedly organized by Sadiq, came after several complaints from PTI regarding the lack of unmonitored access to Imran Khan while in jail.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also met with the party chief in a one-on-one discussion before joining the delegation.
At the start of their talks, PTI raised two primary demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 and November 26 crackdowns.
