Home »General News » Pakistan » Prospects still dim: talks resumed to end political drama

  • News Desk
  • Aug 23rd, 2014
  • Comments Off on Prospects still dim: talks resumed to end political drama
The stalled talks between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that resumed on Friday ended without securing any breakthrough. The talks between another team of government negotiators with Dr. Qadri's side also ended on a similar note.

However, after the second round of talks with the government's team, Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters that in the first round of talks his party had presented a six-point charter of demands, and they explained to the government side their viewpoint after consultations with their leadership.

"We've also conveyed our concerns and apprehensions and it has been decided that both the parties will look into each other's reservations and the third round of talks will take place today (Saturday)," he added. Earlier, at a meeting of PTI core committee with Imran Khan in the chair, it was decided to resume talks with the government. The PTI negotiators were Javed Hashmi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Dr Arif Alvi and chief minister KP Pervez Khattak.

Dr Shireen Mazari, PTI central information secretary, said that the party's core committee had agreed there would be no change in the stance of PTI over the resignation of prime minister, which it had set as precondition for resumption of dialogue. Before proceeding for talks at a local hotel, Javed Hashmi told reporters that the first demand of his party was the resignation of prime minister. "We just want the PM to quit...the dissolution of assemblies or electing a new prime minister from PML-N will be discussed later," he contended.

The government negotiators were governor Punjab Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar, Pervez Rashid, information minister, Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd), minister for Safron, Zahid Hamid, minister for science and technology, and Ahsan Iqbal, minister for planning, development and reforms.

The PTI chairman, Imran Khan, on Friday, the ninth day of his sit-in, reiterated his resolve of not backing down from his stance. Imran also challenged Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), Awami National Party and ruling PML-N to assemble even 10 percent of his crowd as a protest demonstration against him he would order re-election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Imran said that his party's provincial government had completely depoliticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, adding no politician could dare interfere in administrative matters of police. He said a corrupt patwari culture had been buried forever while Punjab government was still relying on patwaris.

He criticized Punjab government for not introducing local government system in a bid to keep the finances in its own hands. "We're going to devolve power to the grassroots level and Pervez Khattak will give contracts of bridges to Shehbaz Sharif, of which he [Shahbaz] is very fond of," he remarked. Addressing the prime minister, Imran posed a challenge to that that he was ready to hold fresh elections in KP if he [Nawaz] too held polls in Punjab, "but with a neutral umpire."

The PTI leader said his first priority would be the restructuring of police force after he come to power. He claimed that people had started civil disobedience movement by not paying toll tax, utility bills, and income tax. "Nawaz Sharif paid only Rs5000 as tax last year and his name should be included among those deserving families who are getting monthly stipends through social safety net of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)," he remarked.

The stance of the PTI leader was more rigid as he declared that a decision to leave the sit-in venue without getting the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf would be made over his dead body, adding he would continue to stay at 'Azadi Square' unless the "monarchy of Sharif" was over.

Meanwhile, in his late night address, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri said that the sit-in would continue till the 'demise' of PML-N governments in the center and in Punjab. He said that PAT would exact revenge from the 'cruel rulers' who killed innocent people as "in the presence of Nawaz Sharif, there is no light at the end of the tunnel".

"The PML-N is responsible for the Model Town massacre," he said. Qadri claimed that over 25000 of his party workers were still missing while dozens killed by police in Lahore in broad daylight. "Is there any moral justification with these MPs who back a killer prime minister for the sake of so-called democracy as he [Nawaz Sharif] along with his brother, trampled the constitution? Is this what you call democracy," he questioned.

He dispelled the impression that PAT and PTI sit-ins were creating problems to judges and parliamentarians, adding judges of Supreme Court, parliamentarians and officials working in state institutions were reaching their offices late due to containers placed by the federal government. He also alleged that several PAT workers fell unconscious after drinking intoxicated water supplied by the government. He blamed the Punjab government for blocking exits of all major cities in Punjab with a view to preventing PAT workers from reaching Islamabad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2014


the author

Top
Close
Close