ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiation committee has said it is ready to hold the next round of talks with the government within two days, pledging to present written demands in that meeting.
The committee’s spokesperson Sahibzada Hamid Raza said in a statement on Saturday, “The opposition’s negotiation committee is ready for the third meeting, which is scheduled for either Sunday, January 12, or Monday, January 13.”
Earlier in the day, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq told the media that neither the government’s negotiation committee nor the opposition had contacted him to schedule the next round of talks.
However, Sahibzada claimed that PTI leader Omar Ayub had attempted to contact the Speaker but was unable to reach him.
He also criticized the government for failing to arrange a meeting of the PTI’s negotiation team with their incarcerated founder, urging Ayaz Sadiq to inform the nation that the government had not fulfilled its commitments.
The spokesperson emphasised that the PTI founder was not a convicted prisoner but an under-trial detainee, giving ‘unhindered access’ to him is legally possible.
He insisted that an independent judicial commission should be formed to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26, warning that failure to do so would result in the suspension of talks.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Asad Qaiser accused Khawaja Asif and Maryam Nawaz of attempting to derail negotiations. He claimed the government was now making excuses regarding its promise to facilitate a meeting with the party’s founder before the next round of talks.
“We took a step forward for Pakistan’s sake, setting aside our reservations for the country’s betterment,” Qaiser said, adding that PTI wanted a strong parliament and true public representation.
Amid this dubiety, Imran Khan posted a statement on his X account, saying that the government’s non-serious attitude towards negotiations is evident from the fact that “I haven’t even been allowed to meet with my negotiation committee yet.”
He accused the government of using negotiations as a delaying tactic, warning that his party will walk out of the process if an independent judicial commission is not formed to probe the events of May 9 and November 26.
He alleged that authorities were deliberately stalling talks to let public outrage over the November 26 incident fade.
“Peaceful citizens were shot at and killed on November 26. Their blood was spilled at D-Chowk, and many of our people are still missing,” he said. “In any civilised society, those responsible would have been held accountable, but here, not even a judicial commission has been formed.”
Imran also alleged that the May 9 riots were a “false flag operation” orchestrated by the establishment. He claimed security personnel were removed from key locations that day, fires were deliberately set, and CCTV footage was stolen. He called for transparent investigations into both incidents.
The former prime minister accused the government of violating human rights, saying that PTI workers and leaders had been abducted, tortured, and their homes and businesses destroyed. He cited the cases of Shahbaz Gill, Azam Swati, Zille Shah, and Intezar Panjutha as examples of mistreatment at the hands of authorities.
“Those who leave PTI are cleared of May 9-related charges, while those who remain loyal are subjected to torture and pressure,” he said.
The PTI founder maintained that only an impartial probe could deliver justice to those affected by the May 9 and November 26 incidents.
He said his party had exhausted all legal avenues but had not received justice, prompting him to raise the issue internationally. He instructed PTI’s legal team to approach global human rights organisations and forums.
The PTI founder also urged overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances, claiming that democracy and human rights had been replaced by “the law of the jungle” in the country.
Imran also blamed political instability for the country’s economic downturn, citing a World Bank report that an additional 13 million people had fallen below the poverty line. He alleged that every institution, including the judiciary, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), “have been tasked to work against PTI, causing political and economic systems to collapse and instability to reach its peak”.
He further claimed that a decade-long authoritarian rule was being planned, alleging that “anyone who supports this lawlessness can have their corruption of billions pardoned.”
