Ruling coalition, PTI to hold talks today President Zardari, PM Shehbaz discuss political, security situation Express concern over security situation in KP PTI Chairman Gohar says opposition has accepted govt’s offer of talks .
ISLAMABAD - - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the overall political and security situation of the country.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, the Attorney General for Pakistan, and PPP Senators Sherry Rehman and Saleem Mandviwalla, along with Sharjeel Memon and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.
PM vows to pass benefits to people as economic indicators show improvement
Reviewing the national security situation, the President and the Prime Minister emphasised ensuring effective cooperation among all relevant institutions to maintain peace and stability in the country.
The participants also expressed concern over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It was decided in the meeting that a joint delegation comprising representatives of the federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians will meet the PTI leadership today to hold talks on the current political situation.
India biggest terrorist state in the world: DG ISPR
The delegation will include Mohsin Naqvi, Rana Sanaullah, and Amir Muqam representing the federal government, and Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Aijaz Jakhrani representing the PPP.
Amid heightened tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the latter’s long march plan, the Centre on Thursday decided to engage with the opposition party apparently to deescalate the situation. The decision was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari at the President House.
NA body recommends Rs5,000 per 40kg wheat support price
“The meeting decided that a joint delegation comprising the federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will meet with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership today and hold negotiations on the current political situation,” according to a statement issued by the Presidency.
The development comes when the federal government has hinted at imposing emergency or governor’s rules in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) due to deteriorating law and order situation in the province.
The PML-N led ruling alliance has been giving the warning shots of sending the KP government home due to PTI’s planned long march on Islamabad, demanding release of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan. The march was first announced on September 27 and later postponed till October 4.
Houthis attack power station in Medina supplying Prophet’s Mosque
President Zardari and PM Shehbaz reviewed the country’s security situation and stressed the need to further strengthen the national resolve against terrorism and ensure effective coordination among all relevant institutions for peace and stability.
In a post on X, PTI interim Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the opposition had accepted the offer of talks from the government. “The opposition and the government delegations would meet at 12 pm today in the office of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq,” he said, adding that the government offer has been accepted in the light of the decision taken in a meeting of opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP).
Gohar confirmed that he received a message for talks from the government.
Earlier in the day, at least two federal government functionaries confirmed that back channel talks with the PTI were under way for the past few days. Rana Sanaullah and Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal separately revealed this during their media talk.
Talking to a private TV channel, Sanaullah said the federal government and PTI had been engaged in “off-the-record talks” regarding the opposition’s planned protest on Oct 4.
He said it was up to the PTI leadership to decide either to hold the proposed march or not. “Let us see, even if they do not postpone it, we have arrangements in place to stop them,” he warned.
He said the PTI’s march was like a “provincial government attacking the capital”
Health Minister Kamal also said that unofficial talks between the government and the opposition were happening on a daily basis. “Backdoor talks are underway,” he said, adding that both sides were meeting daily twice or thrice. However, he refrained from disclosing any names.
Talking to reporters at the Parliament House, the PTI chairman Gohar warned against imposition of emergency or governor’s rules in KP.
“You will put the federation at risk if you take any action in a province that goes against the will of its people,” he said after the PTI leadership held three hours long meeting with the TTAP leaders including Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
He underlined that the PTI’s march would remain peaceful.
The PTI chairman said that avoiding a long march did not require imposing governor’s rule or declaring a state of emergency. Instead, he stressed the importance of engaging with the protesters, understanding why they had taken to the streets, and addressing their concerns.
He said PTI’s demands included the release of its detained leadership, proper treatment of Khan, and the expeditious hearing of cases involving the party chief and his wife Bushra Bibi.