[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]Following a successful no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan in April of last year, representatives of the coalition government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) finally met in person on Thursday in an effort to end the impasse that has persisted since then.
The meeting, which was labelled an icebreaker, took place at Parliament House hours after the Supreme Court’s three-member panel hearing the issue on the poll delay concluded. At the behest of the federal administration, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had worked to bring the opposition party to the table for a discussion with the government the day before.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Senator Ali Zafar made up the PTI delegation, while Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and leaders of the PPP Yousuf Raza Gilani and Naveed Qamar represented the PML-N.
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the dissolution of the National Assembly and Sindh and Balochistan legislatures in May to pave way for general elections in July; the passage of a constitutional amendment for a one-time concession to delay polls beyond 90 days if the government wanted to go beyond the May 14 election date in Punjab; and, the withdrawl of the speaker’s order accepting the resignations of PTI MNAs to bring them back to the National Assembly.
The government team has sought some time to discuss the demands, the sources added, and the two sides will meet again today (on Friday) to continue talks.
Though MQM-P lawmaker Kishwar Zehra was a part of the government-nominated team, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was conspicuous by its absence from the meeting.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
