ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a federal-level committee on Saturday to hold talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in light of the party’s ongoing Haqeeqi Azadi March but on the other hand senior ministers ruled out “any room” for talks with no room for negotiations with “anarchists.”
The PM’s formed the committee, headed by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and comprising nine members, will focus on maintaining the law and order situation while also holding a “political discourse” regarding the PTI march.
As per the premier’s directives, all talks regarding the long march are to be done through the committee.
“Our doors are always open for negotiations. We are democratic people, ready to talk. However, we will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands,” said PM Shehbaz.
The committee includes PML-N leaders: Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan Peoples Party leader: Qamar Zaman Kaira, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Awami National Party’s Mian Iftikhar and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Asad Mehmood.
‘No talks with PTI’
However, two senior ministers in the government, Khawaja Asif and Marriyum Aurangzeb denied the possibility of talks with the PTI.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement that there was “no room for negotiations with anarchists”, adding that PTI supremo Imran Khan wants “chaos, unrest and blood instead of transparent elections”. The PML-N leader furthered that the former prime minister can “no longer hide his reality by taking to the streets as his face and lies have been exposed”.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif too turned down claims of talks with the PTI.
“Elections will be held at a constitutional time, God willing,” he stated. “Negotiations and consensus amongst political forces are part of democracy. However, there is no possibility of the kind of negotiations that the PTI is creating a ruckus about,” he stated.
“Let Imran Khan fulfil all of his desires. Right now, the Indian media is giving him full attention and air time… enjoy that,” he concluded.
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Saturday that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has crossed all “Red Lines” of the identity of a Pakistani.
Taking to Twitter, Khawaja Asif said the Indian media does not support Narendra Modi as much as it is currently supporting Imran Khan. He said the Indian media is giving full coverage to the “language” being used by Imran Khan against Pakistan Army and the ISI. He said the PTI chairman has become the spokesperson of the enemy country.
No dialogue with ‘rejected foreign funded Fitna’ underway
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday dismissed reports about negotiations with the former prime minister Imran Khan in the wake of his long march towards Islamabad.
“Mazaaq Raat with rejected foreign funded Fitna is underway instead of negotiations,” she said in a tweet.
She said people had returned to their homes after attending the “long drive” (long march), and so did”Imran Khan Fitna” like last night.
She advised the families to keep their children away from the “bloody march” as the PTI had orchestrated a despicable plan to bring revolution through guns and bloodshed
Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the next general election would be held on its schedule despite the PTI’s “bullying, threats, abuses and intimidation attempts”.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, she said Imran should “do what he wants to do”, adding that the government would remain indifferent to his pressure-deploying tactics.
“Imran’s long, short, jump or walk march will make no difference.”
Commenting on a slew of audio recordings leaked in recent days, the minister remarked that they had “badly flopped” Imran’s conspiracy narrative related to his ouster.
“There was always an option of negotiations in politics, but talks are held with politicians, not with foreign-funded fitna, who is roaming on the streets,” she said on the topic of talks with the PTI.
“There will be no negotiations with those who want to achieve their political ambitions by causing deaths through a bloody march,” Aurangzeb made it clear.
Expressing concern over any possible untoward incident in Punjab, she said that Imran and the provincial government would be held responsible for any such instance.
Aurangzeb said the country would progress if every institution worked within its constitutional limits.
She said on the one hand the government was striving for the economy’s revival and its diplomatic relations with the rest of the world while on the other side, the “PTI chairman is busy promoting chaos and anarchy”.
The minister alleged that Imran was “pursuing his unfinished agenda of destabilising the country” at a time when the country was facing unprecedented economic challenges in the wake of historic floods.
Celebrations were made in India following Imran’s threats to national institutions, the minister added.
“Govt not serious about negotiations’
However, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said the government was not serious about negotiations. He claimed that the Imran Khan-led march was still facing government-imposed restrictions.
“On the one hand, PTI workers are being arrested and the Haqeeqi Azadi March’s coverage is being restricted and, on the other hand, there is news of the formation of a frivolous committee,” he said.
“These are tricks to only engage the Azadi March, and they won’t work,” Fawad added, demanding a date for the general election.
