PTI not holding backdoor talks with anyone: Asad Qaiser

• Asad Qaiser says May 9 was used as an excuse to target PTI. 
  
• "PTI not talking to anyone." 
• We will not back out from its stance, says former speaker. 
  

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser said that they were neither holding any talks with any political party nor talking to anyone else via backdoor channels.

"We are not talking to anyone, not even via backdoor channels," clarified the former National Assembly speaker while speaking to Geo News on Friday.

His remarks come after the party has time and again said that it was ready to hold negotiations with anyone except for three parties in the ruling coalition — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Qaiser said that the May 9 incidents were used as an excuse to target the party.

"A fake government was formed by benefiting one party, however, we will not back out from our stance," said the PTI leader, adding that the country will move forward when there is a rule of law.

It is important to note that the military has stated that there will be no talks with the planners and abettors of the May 9 riots.

On Tuesday, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (ISPR DG) Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said all political leadership and forces were respectable but no talks were possible with those political groups and leaders who attack their own armed forces, insult martyrs, create gulf and hatred between people and armed forces.

He said that such elements were left with the only option of sincerely apologising to the nation and pledging to give up politics of hatred and start constructive politics.

“We cannot talk with such groups which spread anarchy in the country and create gulf and hatred between people and armed forces,” he said.

Sher Afzal Marwat controversy

Meanwhile, sharing his position on the ouster of Sher Afzal Marwat from top PTI bodies, Qaiser said that he is an important leader of the party who has performed his duties as well.

However, Qaiser said that he does not know about Marwat's removal from the PTI's political and core committees.

He made these comments after the firebrand leader from KP was excluded from the party’s top decision-making bodies reportedly on Imran Khan’s orders. The development has widened rifts among the senior leadership.

Earlier, PTI withdrew Marwat’s nomination for the Public Accounts Committee chairmanship.