The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that it will continue negotiations with the government regarding the framework for elections within the bounds of the Constitution, despite attempts to sabotage the talks. Fawad Chaudhry, the spokesperson of PTI, confirmed that the party is committed to upholding the orders of the Supreme Court and will reject any attempts to disrupt the negotiations. He added that the final agenda for the negotiations will be discussed on Tuesday.
The announcement came after Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar denied any involvement of the federal government in the late-night raid on the residence of former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore. Dar contacted senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and denied any involvement of the Centre in the police action, saying that it was carried out by the caretaker Punjab government.
Fawad had earlier expressed concerns about the negotiation process becoming meaningless due to the attack on PTI Central President Pervez Elahi’s residence, the detention of Ali Amin Gandapur despite bail, and the arrests of workers. He questioned the government’s ability to make major decisions if it could not improve the ongoing environment despite giving assurances.
Despite these concerns, efforts to find common ground through dialogue between the ruling alliance and the PTI continued as the talks remained on track. The second round of talks between the PTI and the ruling coalition to break the ongoing political and constitutional impasse in the country ended with both sides agreeing to take input from their leadership and continue negotiations next week. The third and possibly final round of talks is set to take place on Tuesday, after which a decision is expected to be announced.
The PTI has affirmed its commitment to continue the election talks with the government, despite attempts to sabotage the negotiations. The Finance Minister has denied any involvement of the federal government in the recent police action, which adds to the concerns expressed by the PTI about the negotiation process. However, both sides remain hopeful about finding common ground, with the third round of talks scheduled to take place next week
