Former prime minister Imran Khan has given the green signal to opposition alliance head Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s proposal to talk to political parties without any preconditions in furthering the PTI’s agenda for restoring democracy.
“Achakzai wanted to have talks with political parties and Khan Sb had allowed him for that as we have no issues with that. If you want to have negotiations and if you have a proposal then we will consider it,” PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said during his appearance on Rubaroo aired on Aaj News.
“So far neither from political parties nor from any other side [establishment] a proposal has come. We say and want to ease the tensions,” he said while appearing on the show via video link on Friday.
Achakzai, a Pashtun politician from Balochistan, is the leader of a six-party opposition alliance which includes the PTI.
He was asked about the PTI founder’s dialogue offer to the army and the party’s efforts to engage with like-minded political parties to continue their anti-government movement.
Gohar went on to add that the former prime minister has not set pre-conditions for talks. He reiterated that Khan allowed Achakzai to go with his options. “We think that talks should be conducted and doors should be open and there should be a good environment.”
Last month, Khan made a conditional offer for talks with the army and called on the military to appoint its representatives for the negotiations.
When asked whether anyone has been nominated from the army, Gohar said that it was up to them who they nominate. “We cannot dictate it is up to them who they nominate. We have not made any demand.”
Without mentioning names, the PTI chief stated that those who are beneficiaries of the “corrupt system” do not want public politics.
In an interview with VOA Urdu, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the PML-N was unconcerned by any talks between the army and PTI.
He also answered questions related to the government’s bill to amend the Elections Act following the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats.
“As a political party, we are opposing this bill in Parliament and it is wrong and against the SC judgement, Constitution and akin to NRO,” the PTI chairman said and added that the apex court was the last resort for seeking relief.
He demanded the SC decision should be implemented. “This is unconstitutional legislation under the garb of legislation. Hopefully, the SC will end it and we hope we will get our seats back.”
The PTI was trying to bring all parties on its two-point agenda including free and fair elections in the country and independence of the judiciary, Gohar said and expressed hope that the party’s talks with the JUI-F chief Maulana Falzur Rehman would be fruitful.
When asked, he hoped that Fazl would not make a demand for en masse resignations.
In response to a question on talks with political rivals, Gohar wondered how such a situation would materialise if a party, which he claimed came to power on its mandate, was invoking Article 6 (high treason) against his party leader, planning to ban the PTI, and bringing legislation to block the SC decision’s implementation.
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“I think, for now, it is out of the question that there could be dialogue with them [PPP and PML-N]. But anyways we see towards future as what happens,” he said.
He called for ending fissures for the sake of democracy. Gohar reiterated that the state organs should operate under their boundaries
PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob described Khan’s decision as a “big development”, but added that there was a difference between permission and delegating powers.
