As uncertainty continues to shroud the possibility of negotiations between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led opposition, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has expressed readiness to play his role in prospective parleys between the treasury and opposition benches.
“I am ready to play a role in talks on any issue, including political ones, [….] My office and home are always available for government-opposition talks,” said Sadiq in a video statement on Wednesday.
Welcoming yesterday’s exchanges between the government and the PTI leaders in the lower house, the speaker underscored the significance of talks for ending the persisting bitterness between the two sides.
The remarks come against the backdrop of prevailing ambiguity surrounding the PTI-government dialogue which have been the talk of the town ever since the party’s founder, Imran Khan, formed a five-member negotiation committee.
The committee comprising NA Opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser has been mandated to demand the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and a late-night crackdown on the PTI protesters on November 26.
The PTI — whose founder along with several other leaders and workers remain behind bars and are embattled in a plethora of cases — and the incumbent government have shared a rather turmoil history with the former marching on to Islamabad on multiple occasions for protests in the ongoing year.
The former ruling party had even announced launching a civil disobedience movement — which now has been deferred by Khan for a “few days” on the “PTI leaders’ request”.
On Tuesday, the PTI and government leaders exchanged somewhat less heated exchanges, compared to their usual war of words with PM’s aide on political affairs Rana Sanaullah inviting the PTI to approach the government while saying that his party was in favour of holding talks.
Sanaullah also underscored the speaker’s office’s neutrality saying: “It is as much ours as it is yours, and current speaker [Ayaz] Sadiq has always maintained his neutrality”.
