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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a government negotiating committee to hold talks with the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and expressed hope that national security and the national interest will be prioritised during these negotiations, ARY News reported.
The move follows statements made by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday night, who revealed that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had assured the formation of such a committee. Apart from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), the government committee also has representation from the coalition parties, as per ARY News. The newly formed committee announced on Sunday, includes Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister's advisor Rana Sanaullah Khan and Senator Irfan Siddiqui from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar from Pakistan Peoples Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui from MQM, Abdul Aleem Khan (Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party), and Chaudhry Salik Hussain (Muslim League-Q). Following the announcement, Prime Minister Sharif expressed his hope that the talks would prioritise national security and the country's interests and said, "If Pakistan exists, we all exist." He also praised National Assembly Speaker for his role in facilitating the negotiations. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub claimed that the government was not serious to hold negotiations with PTI. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that the PTI's negotiations' team was not given access to meet the PTI's founder in Adiala Jail. He said the party's founder formed the negotiation team so as no one could say that the team was not formed for talks. "You have to request for the meeting in Adiala jail. The leaders who visited jail, were appeared in cases," Ayub said. Recently, Pakistan Prime Minister's adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that any talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will rely on the approval of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and with the establishment onboard, The Express Tribune reported. He said, "Negotiations with PTI are conditional on Nawaz Sharif's approval, and the government will keep the establishment onboard." (ANI)
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