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The government's talks committee meeting scheduled to be held today was postponed after representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representatives did not attend the meeting, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that the committee would remain intact despite the lack of participation. Before the meeting, Sadiq stated that all members were invited and expressed hope that the members of the opposition would participate in the meeting. Sadiq said, "We waited for 45 minutes, but received a message that they would not come." He further said that PTI leaders had told him they would consult the party's top leadership before responding. He said that the opposition's absence in the meeting made further discussions meaningless and expressed his commitment to facilitating talks."My doors remain open, and I hope talks can proceed from both sides," Ayaz Sadiq said. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who was present at the meeting, said the government had prepared a response to the demands raised by PTI and was eager to move the talks forward. He said, "We came ready to discuss their concerns, but without their presence, how can we respond?" The government remains optimistic about resolving political differences through talks. However, the postponement of the meeting marks another setback in the efforts to bridge the gap between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PTI, The Express Tribune reported. Earlier, Imran Khan-founded party had refused to attend the meeting scheduled for Tuesday despite efforts by Ayaz Sadiq to engage the opposition in dialogue, The Express Tribune reported. Sadiq spoke to PTI's negotiation committee head Omar Ayub over a phone call and invited party to attend the meeting, The Express Tribune reported, citing sources. Sadiq emphasised the importance of resolving political differences through talks and urged PTI to attend the meeting. However, Ayub informed Sadiq about PTI's decision, instructed by party founder Imran Khan, to boycott the meeting. Omar Ayub spoke about the government's failure to address PTI's demands and accused it of using delaying tactics. The first round of talks between PTI and the government was held on December 23, 2024, to discuss the long-standing issues and find a way forward. Since the talks started in December, the two sides have met thrice. During the third round of negotiations on January 16, PTI presented demands for a judicial probe into the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, as well as the release of political prisoners. (ANI)
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