By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: An incarcerated leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the opposition party founded by the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, called on Friday for renewed talks with the government to ease the country’s deepening political and economic woes, even as he distanced himself from an ex-fellow party member’s push for a national dialogue committee.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the party’s vice chairman and a former foreign minister, spoke informally with journalists inside an anti-terrorism courtroom in Lahore, where he and other PTI figures had appeared for hearings on cases tied to the violent riots of May 9, 2023. Qureshi, who has been held in Kot Lakhpat Jail since those unrests, emphasised the need for reconciliation but made clear he would not back an initiative by Fawad Chaudhry, a former PTI information minister. “As the party’s vice chairman, I could not deviate from PTI policy,” Qureshi said when asked about Chaudhry’s proposed National Dialogue Committee.
Qureshi said Chaudhry had visited him in the hospital last year to inquire about his health, adding, “We both remained in a political party. How could I ask a guest why he came to meet me?” That visit, in November, came alongside efforts by Chaudhry, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail and pro-military political figure Mahmood Maulvi to persuade Qureshi to join a campaign for Khan’s release. Qureshi rebuffed the overture then, and on Friday he reiterated his stance amid broader pleas for political engagement.
“Resistance is followed by reconciliation,” he said, asserting that dialogue was essential for the nation to progress. He pointed out that Khan had authorised Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the recently appointed opposition leader in the National Assembly, to handle such matters. “He can make a better decision regarding the future course of action, as we are in prison with limited information.”
Achakzai’s nomination by Khan followed the disqualification of Omar Ayub, PTI’s former minister, after a 10-year sentence in a May 9-related case. Government officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, have spoken positively of Achakzai, noting his past support for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz during challenging periods.
The courtroom appearance also saw Asad Umar, another former federal minister and ex-PTI leader, support the call for talks. Speaking to the media, Umar urged a fresh Charter of Democracy between the government and opposition to navigate the uncertainty. “The government would eventually need to sit with the opposition to craft a fresh democratic accord,” he said.
The pleas for dialogue come as the government signals openness but with caveats. Sanaullah, speaking on a private channel, said contacts with PTI leaders showed some favoured negotiations, but Khan opposed them. “Whenever politicians come to the table for talks, problems get solved, and a way gets paved,” he said. Still, he noted PTI’s firm stance on protests planned for Feb. 8, predicting the party would not back down and that the government would handle them “administratively.”
Meetings with Khan at Adiala Jail, he added, could only occur after the demonstrations, as PTI prepared “at full throttle.” Sanaullah urged PTI to rejoin parliamentary committees and “play its full role in parliament” to build trust. Prime Minister Sharif has reiterated offers for talks on “legitimate matters,” while PTI insists no negotiations without access to Khan. In December, PTI denied dialogue until a “level-playing field” was ensured through street agitation. Barrister Ali Zafar, a PTI leader, recently affirmed that stance aligned with Khan’s directions.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
