PESHAWAR: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser said that they were neither in contact with any party nor talking to anyone else via backdoor channels.
Speaking to Geo News on Friday, the former National Assembly speaker issued a clarification, saying: "We are not talking to anyone, not even via backdoor channels."
Qaiser made this statement as several PTI leaders, as well as founder Imran Khan, have said that they were ready to hold negotiations with anyone excluding three major parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Qaiser said that the May 9 incidents were used as an excuse to target the party.
"A fake government was formed by benefiting one party, however, we will not back out from our stance," said the PTI leader, adding that the country will move forward when there is a rule of law.
It is important to note that the military has stated that there will be no talks with the planners and abettors of the May 9 riots.
On Tuesday, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (ISPR DG) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said all political leadership and forces were respectable but no talks were possible with those political groups and leaders who attack their own armed forces, insult martyrs, create gulf and hatred between people and armed forces.
He said that such elements were left with the only option of sincerely apologising to the nation and pledging to give up politics of hatred and start constructive politics.
“We cannot talk with such groups which spread anarchy in the country and create gulf and hatred between people and armed forces,” he said.
Meanwhile, sharing his position on the ouster of Sher Afzal Marwat from top PTI bodies, Qaiser said that he is an important leader of the party who has performed his duties as well.
However, Qaiser said that he does not know about Marwat's removal from the PTI's political and core committees.
He made these comments after the firebrand leader from KP was excluded from the party’s top decision-making bodies reportedly on Imran Khan’s orders.
The development has widened rifts among the senior leadership.
Earlier, PTI withdrew Marwat’s nomination for the Public Accounts Committee chairmanship.
