As delegations from the government and the PTI again gather on Saturday for the second round of talks, the opposition held a meeting in which standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the talks were finalised.
It was decided that it would be proposed during the meeting that no one from either side would speak to the media during the talks and that a joint statement would be issued afterwards to avoid any misunderstanding.
Talking to Dawn, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai said comments made by PPP leader Sherry Rehman on Friday had triggered a controversy, leaving the situation unpleasant until late at night.
“The opposition alliance held a meeting before the start of the talks, during which the government side’s views regarding the law and order situation in KP were discussed. After consultation with the KP chief minister, a response was prepared, which will be presented to the government side during the meeting today,” he said.
Replying to a question, Akhunzada said it was also decided that it would be proposed during the meeting that no one would issue a media statement regarding the dialogue and that a joint statement would be issued after the meeting.
He said the joint statement would reduce the chances of confusion and differences of opinion.
Afridi adamant on long march
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi remained adamant about holding the long march on October 4, vowing to prevent a repeat of the events of May 9.
His remarks came as the government and the opposition are scheduled to hold the second round of talks today.
In August, PTI announced a long march to Islamabad on September 27 against what it called the “illegal imprisonment” of the party founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan. However, a couple of days before its scheduled long march, the party postponed the march till October 4.
In a social media post on X, CM Afridi said PTI was the largest and most popular political party in Pakistan. “Pakistan is a democratic country whose Constitution grants us the right to peaceful protest.”
On October 4, he said an “ocean of people” would begin its journey from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm.
The party would continue its struggle until the supremacy of the Constitution and the law was ensured in Pakistan and an independent judiciary was restored, CM Afridi added.
“All demands of the PTI are in accordance with the constitution and the law.”
In his post, he stressed that the party would “neither allow May 9 to happen again nor allow anyone else to repeat it”.
In a post on X a day earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, an ally of the PML-N government, pressed PTI to unconditionally call off the long march, which, he said, would allow the country to come together to address the threat of terrorism and threats emanating from neighbouring countries.
Bilawal also welcomed the government’s decision to work with his party and jointly engage with the opposition “to find political solutions to political problems”.
On Friday, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary Information Shaukat Yousafzai said that the party’s protest march would start from the southern districts and be led by CM Afridi.
“The march on October 4 will take place at any cost,” he said in a statement.
Also on Friday, the army’s top brass warned that any attempt at creating agitation or a “May 9-like situation” would be dealt with “decisive force”.
The warning came during the 277th Corps Commanders’ Conference in Rawalpindi, which was presided over by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
“[The] forum underscored the importance of internal stability and resolved that any attempt to cause agitation or create [a] May 9-like situation, on any pretext whatsoever, will be dealt with decisive force and rule of law, without hesitation and discrimination,” a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
For the first time in almost three years, representatives of the federal government and the opposition PTI formally came together on Friday for talks aimed at easing the political tension in the country, and apprised each other of their positions.
Though neither side shared its specific demands with the media, both were hopeful of a positive outcome from the meeting, which was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
Sources on both sides told Dawn that the PTI wants its incarcerated founder Imran Khan to be shifted from jail to a hospital for medical treatment, while the government has insisted that the opposition call off its protest march on Islamabad, scheduled for Oct 4.
The government side included Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with the PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman and MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani.
The opposition delegation, led by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas according to the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), comprised PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Amir Dogar, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
Emergency option
The talks come as the PTI remains resolute on the march. Federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no option but to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the province’s security situation and the protest call, while the PTI has warned of dire consequences if such a step is taken.
The decision to hold talks was taken on Thursday at a presidency meeting attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mr Naqvi, Attorney General Mansoor Awan and other PPP and PML-N leaders.
A source privy to the huddle told Dawn the emergency option was discussed, but participants agreed to first give the opposition a chance to settle matters peacefully through dialogue, and to seriously consider an emergency only if the PTI did not back down. The coalition also believes the march will remain confined to KP and not enter Punjab or Islamabad.
On Thursday, Sanaullah said the government and PTI were engaged in “off-the-record talks” over the protest, and that the decision on the march rested with the PTI’s senior leadership, “with whom off-the-record consultation is ongoing”. “So let us see, even if they do not postpone it, we have arrangements in place to stop them,” he warned.
Separately, the prime minister has invited Achakzai for dialogue, and the two are expected to meet in the coming days.
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