Adviser to the Prime Minister on Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik on Friday said that the government was preparing a committee to negotiate with the PTI, with the members likely to be announced over the weekend.
Earlier this month, PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan warned of a civil disobedience movement from December 14 if his demands about the release of political prisoners facing trial and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26 were unmet.
Imran had also announced the formation of a five-member negotiation team comprising Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and PTI MNA Asad Qaiser.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had offered on Wednesday to facilitate the negotiations, saying that his “office and residence are open 24 hours”.
Speaking on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ today, the government’s legal adviser confirmed that the government was creating a negotiation team of its own.
“We were waiting for the prime minister to return from the D-8 summit,” Malik said.
“We are preparing our own committee and are going to seek input from our allies so that they are reflected [in the decision making]. I expect this committee to be formed either tomorrow or by the end of this week,” he added.
The adviser did not mention any possible committee members by name, but said it would include “senior government leaders” and “senior government allies”.
Aqeel also mentioned that the NA speaker was willing to host meetings between both negotiating teams. “I think it will be beneficial for the committees to meet at the speaker’s chamber to establish the terms and the agenda,” he stated.
Asked about the PTI’s threat of civil disobedience, the adviser said that the PTI “cannot coerce the government on one hand while inviting them to negotiate with the other”.
He added: “If you want to negotiate, then it must be all-encompassing.”
Regarding tensions with coalition ally PPP and whether it had any animosity towards the government, he responded in the negative.
“The PPP aren’t angry with us and we are engaging them,” he said.
“Ishaq Dar is chairing a committee aimed at addressing the PPP’s concerns,” he added. “The committee has already submitted an initial report and is due to meet with the PPP on December 24.”
Earlier, a meeting was chaired at Karachi’s Bilawal House by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The members in the meeting, attended by senior PPP leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, discussed the overall political situation in the country.
The participants briefed the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on progress made in negotiations with the government so far, as well as upcoming legislation.
“The participants expressed a lack of confidence in the federal government regarding the progress on commitments made to various provinces.”
Bilawal instructed the party leaders to intensify their engagements with the government so that “positive outcomes from these interactions could be presented during the PPP Central Executive Committee meeting”.
