Pakistan govt welcomes PTI's willingness for talks despite concerns

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 13 : The government has welcomed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) apparent shift towards dialogue with political rivals, despite expressing concerns about the opposition party's "poor track record" in negotiations, The News International reported.
The remarks came as political tensions continued to simmer amid PTI's planned civil disobedience movement.
Speaking on Geo News' Capital Talk, Prime Minister's aide on political affairs Rana Sanaullah commended PTI's offer to hold talks, noting that this marked a departure from the party's past refusal to engage in dialogue.
"When he [Imran Khan] was in government, he would say that 'I would not hold talks with the opposition and I would not spare them," Sanaullah recalled.
He pointed out that during his tenure, Imran never reached out to opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif or members of the opposition in parliament.
Sanaullah highlighted that the PTI founder's current stance on talks remains ambiguous. "As of today, his stance is that he will only hold talks with the establishment. But now, if they [PTI] have realised the importance of dialogue, then this is a very good thing," he added.
These comments followed a key meeting at the Speaker House in Islamabad, where National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub, and Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
Sources said the meeting, prompted by telephonic communication between Sadiq and Qaiser, resulted in an agreement to sit at the negotiation table without preconditions, reported The News International.
Responding to PTI's demand for Imran Khan's release, Sanaullah clarified that the prime minister had no authority to intervene. "The PTI founder is not under judicial custody due to an executive order but because of several cases registered against him," he explained.
Sanaullah also revisited the government's previous overtures for dialogue, which were rejected by PTI. "Shehbaz Sharif had stated in the presence of [then prime minister] Imran Khan that we were ready to sit with you to chalk out the charter of economy," he said.
Similarly, he added, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently reiterated his willingness to hold talks on the floor of the house. However, PTI consistently dismissed these offers, claiming they would only engage with those "wielding real power" rather than "powerless" rulers.
In a separate statement, PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Irfan Siddiqui said, "If PTI is ready for dialogue, we are all set for it." However, he urged PTI to adopt a constructive approach.
"The PTI should not hang a sword that if talks were not held by such a date, they would start a disobedience movement. This kind of behaviour cannot go together," he remarked.
Siddiqui emphasised the need for moving beyond past animosities. "We want to talk; we do not want any riots. Pakistan has to move forward, and to move forward, it is necessary to abandon old customs," he said. He further questioned the methods of protest, stating, "Whether peaceful protest is done with slogans of Jihad-Al-Jihad, kill and die, and sticks with nails."
Meanwhile, PTI leader Latif Khosa, speaking during the same programme, reiterated the importance of dialogue to resolve disputes. "All the matters have to be resolved via dialogue," he said.
He stressed that releasing Imran Khan remains PTI's primary demand, as the current leadership cannot make decisions without consulting him, The News International reported.
Explaining PTI's shift in policy towards talks, Khosa maintained that their demands remain unchanged.
"The party would present the same demands even in talks with the ruling parties that it had been protesting against, including alleged rigging during the February 8 elections," he said. Khosa dismissed any criticism of meeting government representatives, adding,
"There is nothing wrong in meeting with the ruling parties' members, and the PTI would present the same demands before the incumbent rulers, including releasing Imran Khan."