After Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) announced a new attempt to start talks between the government and the Imran Khan-led party due to the deteriorating economic and political situation in the cash-strapped nation, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formed a three-member committee that would hold negotiations with JI.
The announcement was made on Sunday by Secretary General Asad Umar, who claimed that the choice was made following a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan and JI Emir Sirajul Haq to move past the current problems.
Issuing a notification in this regard, Umar said that the committee includes former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary and former Punjab minister Mian Mehmood ur Rashid. A day earlier, the JI emir initiated efforts to bring the PTI and the ruling alliance to the negotiation table by holding separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PTI chief. During his meeting with the PM, the current political situation in the country and the judicial crisis were discussed.
The leaders agreed that issues should be resolved with collective wisdom. Sources privy to the matter said that the meetings remained highly successful as both sides agreed to sit at the negotiating table to end the months-long confrontation, which badly affected the country’s economy and the masses. The PTI chief and his party have been holding protests since their ouster in April last year and are demanding early elections, which the government has persistently denied. The PTI dissolved Punjab and KP assemblies in its bid to force the government to hold countrywide elections, but the Shehbaz-led administration did not budge.
But the situation took a turn when the Supreme Court ordered holding the polls in Punjab on May 14. However, the parliament rejected the verdict, leading the judiciary and government to lock horns. “The JI had decided to contact the political parties to build a consensus for holding elections on the same day,” he added. “The country cannot afford any chaos at this time,” confirmed JI Secretary Information Qaisar Sharif citing Haq. Both sides agreed to continue meetings and include other parties too in the process, the JI leader added. He maintained that the JI delegation also met the PTI chairman at his Zaman Park residence during which the latter appreciated the former’s efforts. The two sides agreed to continue contact after Eid ul Fitr.
