ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) submitted a detailed report to the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the three rounds of talks held with the coalition government. The report was submitted to the SC Registrar’s Office with the aim to request the apex court to implement its April 4 verdict regarding the Punjab Assembly elections. In addition, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that more rounds of talks would remain meaningless, as negotiations were carried out while the government raided the houses of PTI leaders.
The third round of talks between the delegations of the ruling coalition and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) concluded on Tuesday with both sides agreeing to hold general elections on the same day across the country. A three-member delegation, consisting of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Senator Ali Zafar, represented PTI in the talks. The coalition government delegation comprises PML-N’s Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, while Pakistan People’s Party’s Senator Yusuf Raza Gilani and Syed Naveed Qamar also took part in the dialogue.
According to the government’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, it was decided to hold elections nationwide on the same day with a caretaker administration. He did point out that another round of negotiations would shortly begin because both parties were still at odds over one item on the agenda. Dar added that both parties were being flexible in the negotiations and that the delegations will confer with their respective leaders.
While the two sides were unable to come to an agreement regarding the date of the general elections, they did agree that all polling places should be open at the same time. This is an important development since it demonstrates that both parties are prepared to make concessions.
Additionally, it is a step in the right direction in fostering Pakistan‘s political stability. The decision to hold the polls on the same date will aid in thwarting any attempts to rig the results in favour of one party or the other. It is positive that both parties have exhibited flexibility in their stances. This portends positively for future negotiations and raises the possibility of finding a workable resolution.
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It’s important to remember that the government promised the Supreme Court it would communicate to the opposition about the April 26 elections in two provinces.
