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Published 15 Jun, 2024 12:21am

PTI backtracks on talks offer with ruling coalition

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has withdrawn its earlier offer to hold talks with the government coalition, which includes the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.

At a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan clarified that Khan had told them that there was no situation like that.

Earlier this week, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan stated that party founder Imran Khan had given the green light for the party to engage in dialogue with the government. This came after the Supreme Court had observed that the PTI should initiate talks with the government to resolve its issues through parliamentary discussions.

But the PTI took a “U-turn” on its statement.

Hasan stated that Khan has demanded that the three coalition parties first provide a “letter of authorisation from their sponsors and patrons” to demonstrate their actual authority to negotiate with the PTI.

The PTI maintains its stance that the incumbent government was a “mandate usurper” and that its members are mere “mummies and dummies” whose actions are controlled by external forces. He reiterated the former prime minister’s directive that the party has “no intention to negotiate with these three political parties at any stage.”

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Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub added that the PTI’s precondition for any talks was the withdrawal of all cases against Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI leaders.

He stated that the party’s focus remains on the ‘Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Aain-i-Pakistan’ (Movement for the Protection of the Constitution) and that Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the president of the movement, would be welcome to hold negotiations on its behalf.

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