ISLAMABAD, JAN 12 /DNA/ – Following a much-awaited meeting with incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in a “controlled environment”, the former ruling party on Sunday announced that they were ready for third round of talks with the government to defuse the political tensions in the country.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside PTI senior leaders Omar Ayub Khan and Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) head Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who also serves as the spokesperson for the negotiation team, urged the government to make progress on their demands during the upcoming round of dialogue.
He called on the government to establish an “impartial judicial commission” headed by a senior Supreme Court judge to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024.
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The May 9 riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of the deposed prime minister in the £190 million settlement case, leading to the detention of hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders for their alleged involvement in violent incidents and attacks on military installations.
During the unrest, protesters targeted civil and military sites, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military condemned May 9 as “Black Day” and announced plans to try those involved under the Army Act.
In November, Khan issued a “final call” for protests, demanding the restoration of PTI’s “stolen mandate,” the reversal of the 26th Amendment, and the release of political prisoners.
PTI claims that at least 13 of its workers were killed and 1,000 others arrested during the protests. However, the government has firmly denied the use of live ammunition against demonstrators.
During his interaction with journalists today, Raza said, “We are ready for the third round of talks.” He urged the government’s negotiation team to work on forming a judicial commission before the next round of dialogue.
“No progress has been made in the negotiations so far,” he said, emphasizing the need for the government to act on their demands, particularly the establishment of the judicial commission.
Stressing that the release of political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission were integral to their demands, Raza said that PTI would submit their two demands in writing to the government’s team during the upcoming session.
Raza warned that the dialogue would no longer continue if the judicial commission was not constituted and the former ruling party would not extend the deadline for talks with the government beyond January 31.
“Show the CCTV footage if you [the government] believe PTI is responsible [for the May 9 violence],” he demanded.
Responding to a question, Raza said their meeting with Khan was held in a “controlled environment” and that they were given go-ahead for the sitting late at night on Saturday.
To another query, he explained that two members of their team — Hamid Khan and Salman Akram Raja — were unable to reach the venue on time due to foggy conditions in the area.
Raza also remarked that the verdict in the £190 million corruption case could create bitterness, but Khan had directed them to ensure the ruling did not disrupt the ongoing negotiation process.
Stressing the need for practical steps, he said that their demands were “reasonable and viable”.
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