'PTI's inability to meet Imran, present written demands behind deadlock with govt'

• NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq hesitant of convening third round of talks.
• Neither govt, nor PTI has approached his office for meeting so far.
• Govt has not yet confirmed permission to meet Khan: SIC chief.
  

ISLAMABAD: Amid no progress in the ongoing parleys between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government despite two rounds of talks, the deadlock between the two sides has been attributed to the PTI negotiators' inability to meet their jailed party founder Imran Khan and present written demands to the government, sources told Geo News on Monday.

With the opposition claiming that they have not been allowed to meet Khan by Adiala jail authorities, the government on the other hand has cited the former ruling party's inability to present a written charter of demand leading to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq's hesitance in calling a third meeting, added the sources.

The existing stalemate comes after the two sides, following months of heightened political tensions, commenced much-hyped negotiations of which two meetings were held on December 27, 2024 and on January 2, 2025.

During the last meeting between the government and the PTI's negotiation committees, the two sides had decided that the Khan-founded party would present its charter of demands in the next session after meeting the jailed prime minister. Also, it was decided that the third round of talks would be summoned after the PTI committee had met Khan.

The former ruling party has time again reiterated its call for the release of its founder and their workers and the formation of a judicial commission on the events of the May 9 riots and last year's November 26 protests.

Sources say that apart from presenting a written charter of demand after meeting Khan, the PTI would have to ink an agreement with the government if the demands are accepted.

Despite the conducive environment in two of the sittings so far, neither side has approached the NA speaker's office to convene the third meeting.

On the issue of written demands, PTI negotiator Asad Qaiser has maintained that the verbal demands presented in the two meetings had now become minutes and should be considered their written demands.

Talking to the media outside Adiala jail on Monday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that it was necessary to meet Khan before the third round of talks.

Noting that they had informed the government's negotiation panel that they had to meet the party's incarcerated founder, Gohar said that they had hoped to do so by today but there has been no confirmation in this regard so far.

"Hopefully we will be able to meet Khan tomorrow," remarked the PTI chairman.

Refuting reports claiming that back-door negotiations were underway with Khan's wife and former first lady Bushra Bibi, he clarified that no meeting had taken place other than the two rounds of talks and that only the committee, formed by the party founder, was holding dialogue.

Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief and PTI's negotiation committee member Sahibzada Hamid Raza has said that the government has not yet confirmed the permission to meet Khan.

Speaking to Geo News today, PTI's Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that the party did not raise any objection regarding presenting its demands in writing However, he added that they could not do so without meeting Khan.

Noting that the government had agreed to their meeting with the party founder, Akram lamented that they had received no response from the NA speaker's office in this regard.

The hurdle in PTI leaders' meeting with the ex-PM has been blamed on the lack of progress regarding the standard operation procedures (SOPs) concerning the said meeting.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) parliamentary leader in the Senate and spokesperson of the government's negotiating committee Irfan Siddiqui has apprised PML-N President and former PM Nawaz Sharif of the situation.

The ambiguity surrounding the PTI-government talks comes as the former has set the January 31 time-frame for the ongoing negotiations to reach a "logical conclusion" — something Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, also part of the dialogue, has said that the former ruling party should extend to February 28.

As PTI, according to The News, demands Khan's release via an executive order, the government has warned that change in the former ruling party's stance could jeopardise the ongoing negotiations aimed at easing political tensions in the country.

"It seems the PTI leadership is not on the same page regarding sharing their demands in writing with the government," the Senator said last week while speaking to journalists.

The PML-N leader further noted that Qaiser’s comments suggested he was struggling to fulfil promises and assurances made to the government’s team during the previous two rounds of negotiations.