The fourth round of negotiations with the government would “only” start after the formation of the judicial commission on May 9 events and the November 26 protest, PTI negotiation committee spokesperson Sahibzada Hamid Raza said on Thursday.
“Imran Khan said if the government does not allow you to meet with me then you can hold a third meeting,” he said while appearing on the Aaj News programme News Insight with Amir Zia.
“But we want to clear it that the fourth meeting will be held if the government forms a judicial commission. If the government wants to play with meetings, then we will say sorry.”
In the second round of negotiations with the government, the PTI negotiating committee demanded the ruling coalition’s team give access to Khan for the ‘Charter of Demand’.
The government has asked the former ruling party to submit a written document, containing a list of demands. The PTI has sought the formation of a judicial commission on May 9 and November 26 and the release of all “political prisoners”.
The two sides reached a deadlock this week after the PTI committee was not granted access to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, as per its wish.
Leaders of the committee have sought “unfettered” and “unmonitored” access to Khan, saying that they don’t want any surveillance while meeting Khan.
In response, the government has wondered what they want to discuss in such a meeting. Irfan Siddiqui, the spokesperson of the ruling coalition committee, said on Wednesday that the PTI demands “still lacked” concrete form.
Raza, the Sunni Ittehad Council chairman, reiterated that the government has not fulfilled its promise to grant access to Khan.
Earlier in the day, PTI information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that party founder Khan has given the green light for the submission of written demands during their upcoming meeting with the government as negotiations continue.
Akram’s statement echoed remarks made by PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, who said on Wednesday that Khan had approved the written presentation of the party’s demands to the government.
Since 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 PTI has set a January 31 deadline to finalise the negotiations.
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The first meeting between the government and PTI committees took place on Monday, marking the beginning of much-anticipated negotiations aimed at reducing political tensions in the country.
At a press conference, Akram said that Khan has also instructed the committee to establish a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024. “If this is not accomplished, Khan would perceive the negotiations as insincere, making it difficult to continue discussions.”
Despite such instructions, Akram expressed skepticism about the government’s capacity to meet or enforce the PTI’s demands.
