ISLAMABAD: A group of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, who have constituted a National Dialogue Committee (NDC) to encourage political reconciliation, have formally approached Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to release senior PTI figures detained in Kot Lakhpat Jail on parole, arguing that their freedom is essential for leading and making any proposed dialogue process credible and productive.
In a letter sent to the prime minister on December 23, the committee welcomed Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed offer of talks with the opposition, particularly PTI, and described it as a “golden opportunity” to stabilise the country amid deepening political, economic and institutional challenges.
Notably, the letter does not mention PTI founder Imran Khan, focusing instead on the role of senior party leaders outside the Adiala jail in initiating and sustaining the dialogue process.
The most significant demand in the letter relates to the release of high-profile PTI leaders currently held in Kot Lakhpat Jail, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry. The committee said these leaders should be released on parole to enable them to lead and participate effectively in the dialogue process.
According to the letter, the committee believes that talks can only succeed if they begin with tangible confidence-building measures. The proposed release of detained PTI leaders, it said, would create a positive and trust-based environment and help restore mutual confidence among political stakeholders.
The NDC further appealed to all the political parties to rise above partisan interests and work towards consensus on Charter of Democracy and Charter of Economy, which it said were essential for long-term political stability and economic recovery.
The letter was signed by former PTI leaders Mahmood Maulvi, Imran Ismail and Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, who have formed the National Dialogue Committee with the stated aim of facilitating a dialogue between the PTI and the government. Fawad Chaudhry shared with The News a copy of the letter.
