Shehbaz Sharif forms govt committee for talks with PTI

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif constituted a government negotiating committee for talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported on Sunday.

The formation of this committee follows statements made Saturday night by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who announced that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had assured the formation of a government negotiating team.

Apart from PML-N, the government committee also has representation from the coalition parties.

The committee, announced Sunday, includes Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister’s advisor Rana Sanaullah Khan and Senator Irfan Siddiqui from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar from Pakistan Peoples Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui from MQM, Abdul Aleem Khan (Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party), and Chaudhry Salik Hussain (Muslim League-Q).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that national security and the national interest will be prioritized during these negotiations. He stated, “If Pakistan exists, we all exist,” and commended the efforts of the National Assembly Speaker in facilitating these talks.

Read more: Govt not serious for talks with PTI, says Omar Ayub

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub claimed that the government was not serious to hold negotiations with PTI.

The Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that the PTI’s negotiations’ team was not given access to meet the PTI’s founder in Adiala Jail.

He said the party’s founder formed the negotiation team so as no one could say that the team was not formed for talks.

“You have to request for the meeting in Adiala jail. The leaders who visited jail, were appeared in cases,” Ayub said.