First Round of Government-Opposition Negotiations Concludes; Official Communique Issued as Parties Agree to Resume Talks Tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: Formal negotiations with the opposition which began in Islamabad, were successful and an official communique was issued to summarize the talks.
The communique says that the participants from both sides explained their position and had in-depth and patient conversations on the current political context. They both agreed that they will meet again tomorrow at 2:00 PM in the National Assembly Speaker’s chamber for the second round of talks.
Here are the highlights of the first session and statements:
Facilitating the dialogue was an important part of the process, and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly, was at the helm. This session saw participation of top government and coalition leaders like Rana Sanaullah, Mohsin Naqvi, Amir Muqam, Talal Chaudhry, Tariq Fazal, Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar and Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani. The opposition filed a petition before the court with Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Raja Nasir Abbas, Aamir Dogor, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and Haleem Adil Sheikh.
Senate Opposition Leader’s Remarks: Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas told the media that the talks were not hostile, but rather in a spirit of mutual respect. He said that while there were expressions of concern about threats of emergency or Governor’s Rule, he assured that these exchanges could not be called as expressions of bitterness because both the committees presented their respective views in a straightforward manner.
PPP Leader Sherry Rehman’s Stance: PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said that final decisions would be made available to the media after the discussions tomorrow, and she hoped it would be a fruitful one. She added that the party never wavers from that point and the opposition should abandon the “long march” without any considerations, as both parties have agreed to give each other time to build trust.