The mission for negotiations between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the government has not progressed as the former ruling party has yet to meet jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in the Adiala Jail.

It was expected that the negotiating committee would meet the party founder today (Monday) in jail where they were supposed to consult for the third round of negotiations.

The PTI is refraining from submitting written demands until a meeting with Khan takes place. The government is insistent on arranging a meeting following the initial draft of PTI’s demands, sources said. PTI Chairman Gohar Khan had also recommended that the negotiating team present a written draft; however, despite his suggestion, the committee has yet to make any decisions.

There have been two meetings between the negotiating committees formed by the federal government and PTI, but both have ended without any results.

In his statement, PTI committee member Asad Qaiser stated that the verbal demands presented in two meetings have been recorded as minutes and “should be considered as written demands,” arguing that providing a formal document “is merely a procedural formality.”

Due to the deadlock, a date for future negotiations has yet to be established.

PTI lawyers have submitted a request to the superintendent of Adiala Jail for a meeting between the negotiating committee and the party’s founder. The request suggested that instead of allowing lawyers to meet, the negotiating committee should be granted access on Tuesday (tomorrow). Till the filing of this story, the jail administration has not responded to the PTI lawyers regarding the request.

The application emphasised that the meeting between the seven-member negotiating committee and the PTI founder should be conducted in an “open environment.”

Last week, the PTI could not present the ‘Charter of Demands’ during the second round of negotiations with the government in Islamabad, as the party members sought access to meet former Prime Minister Imran Khan in jail to formulate such a request.

The talks began after more than a week to soothe the political temperature in the country. The in-camera meeting started an hour late in a National Assembly room in Islamabad.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser to the PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, former NA speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar, IPP leader Aleem Khan, PML-Z leader Ijazul Haq, and Khalid Maqsi from the government side attended the meeting.

The PTI side was represented by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Sunni Ittehad Council leader Sahibzad Hamid Raza, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Raja Nasir Abbas.

Since former prime minister Imran Khan’s imprisonment last year on multiple charges, the relationship between the PTI and both the government and military establishment has soured significantly. The deterioration has been marked by protests that often turned violent amid government crackdowns.

In light of the unrest, Khan formed a five-member committee to engage in talks with “anyone,” indicating a change in the PTI’s parliamentary approach. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assembled a committee composed of ruling coalition members.

The first meeting between the government and PTI committees took place on December 23, marking the beginning of much-anticipated negotiations aimed at reducing political tensions in the country. It ended with the decision that Khan’s party would present its demands to the committee, which it would review and present to the prime minister.

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Some of the ministers have criticised the PTI for their approach after the December 23 meeting. While appearing on the Aaj News programme Rubaroo last week, Senator Siddiqui said both sides in the first meeting agreed that statements by leaders from outside the committee would not affect the talks.

The PTI has set a January 31 deadline to finalise the negotiations. Earlier, Sanaullah indicated that the government would be willing to “accommodate such a request.”

Deputy PM Dar had said that the government’s committee was hopeful of a document from the PTI in the meeting to continue the dialogue process.

“But he [Dar] said we have no objection that the PTI committee brings its ‘Charter of Demand’ after seeking guidance from Imran Khan Sahab so that both committees take forward matters properly,” it said.