Islamabad:
Following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of dialogue, Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) leaders from Lahore expressed their willingness to participate in political negotiations.
In an open letter addressed to the government, the senior imprisoned leaders suggested a political dialogue to help govern the country out of its ongoing constitutional and political crisis. However, they made it clear that no conversations would be possible without prior permission to accommodate the PTI founder.
The letter, signed by Senior PTI figures Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, emphasized that the country is facing one of its worst political and constitutional crises, and that extensive negotiations are the only tired path.
Leaders called for dialogue not only at the political level, but also involved state institutions to ensure that all stakeholders can move on with mutual trust. They emphasized that political discussions should begin immediately and should include PTI leaders who are currently imprisoned in Lahore prisons.
An important point raised in the letter is that access to Imran Khan is important before negotiating committees can be set up or decisions have been completed. Without the PTI chairman’s guidance, they said, no meaningful or representative dialogue can take place.
The letter further insists that disposable access to Khan would not suffice. Instead, regular consultations must be ensured so that management input remains continuous and the negotiation process remains effective and results -oriented.
Read more: PM keeps an olive branch out to PTI
The development is coming when Prime Minister Shehbaz last week expanded a formal invitation to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) for direct conversations.
According to sources, the exchange allegedly took place just before the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on reserved seats during a national assembly session when he approached PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and started a short but meaningful conversation, including a handshake.
PM was quoted as saying, “Let’s sit and talk – negotiations are the solution to everything. I have said this before, and I say it again: We have to talk.” Barrister Gohar reacted briefly with an optimistic, “Inshaallah” (God willing).
