Pakistan: Imran seeks meeting with PTI negotiation team before talks with govt

Incarcerated Pakistan TehreekeInsaf PTI founder Imran Khan stated on Tuesday that he needs to meet with his partys negotiation team to fully understand the issues before the planned talks between the government and his party for meaningful results as reported by DawnImran Khan currently detained after being convicted in several cases said that understanding the core issues would be crucial for him to engage in the negotiation process effectively The PTIs fraught relationship with both the government and the establishment has worsened since Imrans arrest last year leading to numerous protests many of which turned violent due to state repressionThe political climate surrounding PTI has become increasingly tense since its Final Call power show last month which sparked renewed calls to ban the party The party also accused the government of engaging in a malicious campaign following the alleged deaths of a dozen PTI supporters claims the government officially denies Despite this after forming a fivemember committee to engage in dialogue with the government PTI lawmakers softened their stance in parliament Subsequently Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiqs recommendation established a committee with members from the ruling coalition The first meeting between the two committees took place yesterday marking the beginning of longawaited talks aimed at easing political tensionsIn a post on his official X formerly Twitter account Imran Khan acknowledged the efforts of his partys negotiation committee describing it as a good thing However he stressed the importance of him meeting with the committee to gain a thorough understanding of the issues which would help make the negotiations more impactful Imran also appointed MNA Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza as the official spokesperson for PTIs negotiation committeeImran outlined two key demands from the government the release of undertrial political prisoners and the creation of a judicial commission consisting of senior judges to investigate the incidents of May 9 and November 26 2023 He stated that if the government agreed to meet these demands the PTI would postpone its civil disobedience movementImran however voiced concerns that the government might ignore their demand for a judicial commission Additionally Imran rejected the sentences handed out by military courts to 25 individuals convicted for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during the May 9 riots condemning the verdicts as politically motivatedMeanwhile speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail after a meeting with Imran PTI Chairman Gohar Khan revealed that the former premier had called for a time frame for the negotiations expecting progress on the partys demands within a specific periodGohar stated We have said before that some progress should be made on our two major demands within the time frame that we are expecting The PTI chairman confirmed that the party would present a charter of demands in the next meeting with the government He also indicated that the negotiation committee was working towards meeting with Imran to ensure his participation in the discussions Dawn reportedGohar Khan further expressed optimism that a solution to all issues could be reached stating that Imran Khan hoped for a fair trial in all of his cases which he argued were politically motivated He added that although not all committee members attended the meeting yesterday they would be present in the next round of discussions and would submit their demands in writingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever