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ISLAMABAD: The government has made it clear to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that any meaningful progress would require the party to address two major issues -- the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s role in the fight against terrorism, and cancellation of the planned Islamabad march.
According to sources familiar with Friday’s talks between government representatives and the PTI, the government side expressed serious dissatisfaction over the security situation in KP and what it described as an inadequate level of support from the provincial government to the law-enforcement agencies and security forces engaged in counter-terrorism operations.
The government’s position, according to the sources, was that if the dialogue process was to move forward and relations were to improve, the KP government would have to extend complete and unequivocal support to the federal government, security forces and law-enforcement agencies in dealing with terrorism.
The government side also made it clear that there could be no ambiguity or divergence in the political narrative on the issue of terrorism, saying that the provincial government was expected to fully support the counter-terrorism efforts of the state.
The second major issue raised by the government was PTI’s announced march. The government representatives conveyed that there was no political space for a march or road-blockade politics and that PTI would have to cancel the proposed march if the dialogue was to make meaningful progress. The government side also rejected what it described as any justification for such a protest activity.
The issue assumed particular significance because of the position attributed to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who has maintained that the proposed march would go ahead.
According to sources, the government side specifically asked PTI representatives to bring Afridi into the dialogue so that the matter could be discussed with him directly.
The PTI delegation, however, told the government that it had already held a meeting with the KP chief minister on Thursday and that Afridi had authorised the PTI negotiating committee to take a decision on the issue, with the understanding that whatever decision the committee reached would be acceptable to him.
A government source said that the PTI representatives participating in Friday’s talks were reportedly themselves opposed to the politics of marches and therefore had been told to take the issue to those who were actually insisting on holding the protest.
The PTI delegation is expected to travel to Peshawar and meet Afridi, with the march issue likely to be discussed there.
The sources said a decision on the proposed march is expected to emerge by Saturday, which could prove crucial for determining the future direction of the dialogue between the two sides.
On its part, the PTI raised its longstanding demands, including a meeting with party founder Imran Khan and issues relating to his medical treatment. The PTI also raised objections to cases registered against party leaders, maintaining that a number of these cases were politically motivated.
The issue of arrests of PTI workers and leaders was also raised, with the party expressing reservations over what it considers politically driven arrests.
The government’s two key demands, however, centred on the KP government’s handling of terrorism and the cancellation of the proposed march.
The talks have therefore brought the two sides to a potentially decisive point. If PTI agrees to address the government’s concerns over the march and the KP government’s role in counter-terrorism, the dialogue could move forward. But if the party leadership, or the KP chief minister, remains committed to the march, the government as well as the security establishment would regards it as confrontational march and road-blockade politics.
The next round of consultations in Peshawar and the position ultimately taken by Afridi are therefore expected to determine whether the dialogue produces a way forward or runs into another deadlock.
Asim Yasin adds: The first round of talks between the PMLN-led federal government, its coalition partner PPP and the PTI-led opposition ended without a breakthrough on Friday, with both sides maintaining their respective positions.
However, they agreed to continue negotiations, with the second round scheduled for 2pm today (Saturday) in National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s chamber.
The talks also saw heated exchanges over the security situation in KP. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi linked TTP attacks and the law-and-order situation to what he described as failure of the KP government.
Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas rejected the linkage, saying the opposition had come to discuss political issues rather than terrorism. He also questioned the arrests of parliamentarians and stressed that PTI leaders could not take major decisions without consulting the party leadership and founder Imran Khan.
Raja Nasir Abbas said meaningful progress required a meeting between Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Imran Khan. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman questioned what guarantee such a meeting would provide, while Raja Nasir Abbas said he was willing to take responsibility for the outcome.
According to sources, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan conveyed the positions of the opposition leadership and Mahmood Khan Achakzai to the government. The PTI delegation said it would consult its political committee and discuss the government’s position with KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Talking to the media after the meeting, Barrister Gohar said both sides had exchanged their positions in a “good environment” and expressed hope that the situation would improve. He said negotiations would continue on Saturday and that the outcome of the next round would determine the subsequent course of action. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq urged both sides to resolve political issues through mutual understanding and dialogue. The government team included federal ministers Ameer Muqam, Rana Sanaullah, Mohsin Naqvi, Talal Chaudhry and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Senator Sherry Rehman and MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani. The opposition delegation included Barrister Gohar Khan, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Malik Amir Dogar, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and Haleem Adil Sheikh.
