Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has received a green signal from the government for negotiations through the National Assembly speaker’s office.

Sources told Aaj News that PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and party leader Asad Qaiser contacted the NA speaker’s office. Following this, the former ruling party decided to “reverse” its boycott of the assembly and participate in it.

On Wednesday, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that he was “ready to play his role” in facilitating talks between the government and the opposition with his “office and residence open 24 hours”.

A day earlier, Adviser to the PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said in the lower house of Parliament that the NA speaker’s office was a “neutral venue” in response to PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s comments that there was a need for a political dialogue.

The discussions between the two sides would focus on the release of political prisoners and the withdrawal of “politically motivated cases.” The PTI “is in the process of preparing its terms of reference for the negotiations.”

The party would send it to the speaker’s office. Such details would then be forwarded to the government in writing, based on which a government committee would be formed.

The government committee is expected to be established by Sunday.

On the other hand, sources within the PTI have said that members of the negotiation committee are likely to meet with Khan on Friday (tomorrow).

Lawyer Faisal Chaudhry has submitted a request to the Adiala Jail administration on behalf of the PTI founder for a meeting with the negotiation committee.

The negotiation committee includes: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, Salman Akram Raja, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza Khan.

Chaudhry has stressed the need for negotiations to resolve issues and emphasised that the negotiation process should not be hindered.

He also mentioned that the opposition leader should be granted permission to meet with the PTI founder, reinforcing the importance of dialogue in addressing the political landscape.