- Minister responded to Imran Khan’s offer to negotiate.
- He emphasises that he will only meet with Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif.
- Since his party’s defection, Khan has been urging for dialogue.
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday that “serious negotiation” can only take place with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as the party tries to start negotiations in the days following of the May 9.
“If you sincerely want to negotiate, then negotiations will only be done with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” said interior minister Rana SanaUllah in a tweet.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who had previously stated that he would not undertake negotiations with current politicians whom he referred to as “thieves,” has suddenly reversed his position and is eager to deal with the government.
A seven-member committee has been created for this purpose by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former defence minister Pervez Khattak, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, and former ministers Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and Aun Abbasi.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently stated that Khan should establish a “alternate” committee when forming a negotiation team because individuals are fleeing his party.
And this is what happened the day before when Khattak announced his resignation as PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president.
The government’s senior ministers have ruled out discussions with the PTI head, but Sanaullah has previously signalled that there may be some opportunity for dialogue.
In an interview with Voice of America (VOA), Sanaullah said PM Shehbaz would respond “positively” if the PTI head approached him for negotiations.
The interior minister expressed sorrow that Khan sets committees to pursue conversations but refuses to meet with his opponents.
However, in the same interview, the minister stated that, from the government’s standpoint, it may not be the ideal moment to begin negotiations with the PTI since it may harm the feelings of martyrs’ families as a result of the May 9 occurrences.
Hundreds of workers have been imprisoned for alleged vandalism, and as many as 100 PTI leaders from all four provinces have fled.
Khan’s party has been feeling the heat of the state’s power since his detention on May 9 — a day the army nicknamed “Black Day” — when his party workers burned and wrecked military sites, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
To read more: Ch Parvez Elahi re-arrested after the judge ordered his release.
