On Thursday, the ruling coalition and Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) sat together to find solutions to the ongoing political & constitutional crisis in Pakistan. The two sides had their first formal interaction after Imran Khan was ousted from the position of prime minister.
The meeting took place at the Parliament House where Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Railway Minister Saad Rafique, Federal Minister Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, Saeed Naveed Qamar, Kishwar Zehra, and M.Abu Bakar represented the coalition government. The committee from PTI included Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Ali Zafar. Note that the Chairperson of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Maulana Fazl-Ur-Rehman, said that he would not participate in negotiations with PTI.
Negotiations between PTI and Coalition Government
During the negotiations, the two sides agreed to only talk about finalising the date of elections and finding the solutions to problems under the constitution. It was further decided not to discuss the cases and judgments of the Supreme Court.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the nation is looking up to the political leadership, and we should fulfil our responsibility of solving political problems. He hoped that the negotiations are a serious effort and not a delaying tactic.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that the federal government want to complete the negotiation process soon but not under any deadline. To which, Shah Mehmood Qureshi replied that PTI also does not want any kind of delay.
MQM leader Kishore Zahra said that the talks aim to listen to each other and respect the opinion of everyone. Yusuf Raza Gilani said that this is the best opportunity to strengthen political decisions. The committee members agreed to put aside the bitter past during the negotiations.