PML-N Willing to Negotiate with PTI on Conditions, Demands Withdrawal of Civil Disobedience Movement
ISLAMABAD:Senior leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the government have expressed conditional readiness to engage in talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). However, they have demanded that PTI withdraw its ongoing civil disobedience movement before formal negotiations can take place.
In an exclusive interview with a private TV channel on Thursday, Rana Sanaullah, senior PML-N leader and Advisor to the Prime Minister, stated that while the government had extended a hand of dialogue, PTI responded by questioning the legitimacy of the government’s authority and rejected direct talks. He emphasized that genuine solutions could only be found through face-to-face negotiations between political parties.
Rana Sanaullah revealed that although the government maintained communication during PTI’s protests in Islamabad, it did not label those exchanges as formal negotiations. He further disclosed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited PTI to engage in talks on the floor of the National Assembly about a month ago, urging the party to come to the table and resolve issues through dialogue.
“Political parties can always maintain communication, but it is important to note that informal contacts should not be mistaken for official negotiations,” Sanaullah remarked.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, PML-N parliamentary leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui rejected the idea of negotiations, stating that PTI’s ongoing civil disobedience movement made dialogue impossible. He insisted that if PTI genuinely wanted talks, they must first cease their disruptive tactics and restore trust.
On the other hand, PTI’s Senator Ali Zafar emphasized that the doors for negotiations must remain open. Speaking in the Senate, he urged the government to create a conducive environment for dialogue, stating that the opposition was ready to participate in discussions if trust was restored.
However, PML-N Senator Talal Chaudhry opposed talks with PTI, calling them a “drama” and accusing the government of using the negotiations to protect former military officer General Faiz Hameed.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders, including Shaukat Yousafzai, have once again warned the government to take necessary steps for initiating dialogue. Yousafzai stressed that if the government fails to start negotiations, PTI would escalate its civil disobedience movement starting December 14. PTI’s Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Umar Ayub, also reiterated the party’s commitment to continue the civil disobedience campaign.
As the political deadlock persists, both sides seem to be holding firm on their respective positions, with no clear breakthrough in sight.
