A scheduled meeting of the government’s negotiating committee was postponed on Tuesday after Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) representatives did not attend.
Speaking of the Ayaz Sadiq National Assembly announced that the committee would remain intact despite the lack of participation, Express News reported.
In a speech before the meeting, Sadiq declared that all members were invited and it was hoped that the opposition would attend.
“We waited for 45 minutes, but received a message that they would not come,” he said, adding that PTI leaders had informed him that they would consult their top management before responding.
Sadiq emphasized that the absence of the opposition made further discussions meaningless but confirmed his commitment to facilitating dialogue.
“My doors remain open and I hope conversations can continue from both sides,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was present at the meeting, said the government had prepared answers to PTI’s demands and was eager to move the dialogue forward. “We got ready to discuss their concerns, but without their presence, how can we react?” he noticed.
The government remains optimistic in terms of solving political differences through negotiations, but the delay marks another setback in the effort to bridge the ruling coalition and the opposition.
PTI refuses to participate in conversations in spite of the end of the NA speaker
Previously, PTI had refused to attend a meeting scheduled for Tuesday despite efforts from the National Assembly’s speeches Ayaz Sadiq to engage the opposition in dialogue, Express News reported.
According to sources, Sadiq reached the opposition leader and PTI’s negotiating committee manager Omar Ayub over a telephone call and invited the party to participate in the discussions. He emphasized the importance of solving political differences through dialogue and urged PTI to participate in the negotiations.
“Dialogue and negotiations are the only way to solve problems. Solutions can be found through meaningful discussions, ”Sadiq told Ayub.
However, Ayub informed the speaker of PTI’s decision, dictated by party founder Imran Khan, about boycotting the meeting. He highlighted the government’s failure to meet PTI’s demands and accused it of using the delay of tactics.
“The government has stopped our demands. Without the formation of a legal commission, there can be no progress with the negotiations, ”Ayub told Sadiq.
