LAHORE: While inviting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for talks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has disclosed that the government and the opposition party have never severed contact and “they are still in contact with us.”
In informal talks with the media in Lahore, Sadiq said that the government has always left its doors open to ensure negotiations with the PTI.
He said that former prime minister Imran Khan is a recalcitrant man, and the party has to look to him for permission to hold talks.
“As soon as he (Imran) gives the green signal to the party, we will resume talks as the government has not yet dissolved its negotiation committee,” he said, adding that the PTI will participate in the fourth round of talks as and when the party founder permits their committee. “
Currently, both the PTI and the government are in contact, he said.
The negotiation between the PTI and the government began in December last year. Though the talks had ignited hopes in the public after the two sides held a series of negotiations, they fell short of tangible results, and the deadlock persists after the three rounds of talks.
The deadlock in talks began after Khan demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 and November 26 incidents and the release of all his jailed workers and leaders.
The PTI refused to enter into the fourth round of talks after the government did not accept the demand.