Parliamentary committee 'likely' for PTI-govt talks

• PM’s return delays committee announcement for dialogue.
• PTI opposes restrictions on negotiation demands, seeks fairness.
• Backchannel contacts reactivated, hint at potential breakthroughs.

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee is likely to be formed this week to initiate formal negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sources told Geo News on Thursday

A formal announcement is expected after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returns from the D-8 summit in Egypt.

According to sources, the parliamentary committee will be entrusted with full authority to deliberate on key negotiation points and make decisions regarding government-opposition discussions.

The formation of the committee was initially expected to be announced last Friday, but the prime minister’s participation in the summit delayed the process, the insider said.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, speaking about the negotiations, suggested that PTI’s negotiation committee might follow its founder Imran Khan's directives unconditionally, whether the decisions are deemed right or wrong.

In contrast, Senator Pervaiz Rashid voiced scepticism about engaging in talks, criticising PTI’s calls to disregard past incidents, including those of May 9 and November 26.

Rashid said: “I do not believe there is any need to entertain PTI’s demands for negotiations.”

Meanwhile, PTI’s leadership has expressed divided opinions. Senator Shibli Faraz, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, stressed that his party would not beg for negotiations.

"The government must take the initiative," he told Geo News, adding that meaningful dialogue would serve the government’s interests.

Faraz asserted that PTI continues to face injustices and that negotiations could provide a path forward.

Meanwhile, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Advisor on Information, has urged PTI to focus on building alliances with opposition parties inside and outside Parliament.

He emphasised that a united opposition could compel the government to engage in meaningful talks. Saif remarked: "PTI must prioritise bridging gaps with other political parties to create a collective platform for negotiations."

Moreover, The News reported the reactivation of backchannel communications between the government and PTI.

An insider has expressed optimism, The News reported, about these covert efforts, suggesting that they might soon yield positive outcomes. These discussions are reportedly distinct from the widely debated seven-member PTI committee for negotiations with political parties.