Ruling alliance to devise strategy to deal with PTI, legal issues

ISLAMABAD: The ruling alliance has endorsed the position taken by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the floor of the National Assembly regarding talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Infaf (PTI) and its leader Imran Khan where the alliance had placed the precondition of apology.

The prime minister asked Imran that he should render an unconditional apology to the nation for his follies and defrauding it before entering into any dialogue with the ruling alliance.

Sources in the ruling coalition told The News here Friday that top leaders of the ruling alliance, in their huddle today (Saturday) in Lahore, will devise a strategy to deal with the PTI, which exposed its face last month when fully trained and armed personnel of the party resorted to using petrol bombs and other terror tactics against law enforcement personnel.

The alliance is anxiously waiting for the findings of the JIT report that has initially gathered some startling information about the people who were hiding in the Zaman Park residence of Imran Khan.

The sources said the government alliance wouldn’t support dialogue with the PTI or Imran since “they are not reliable people”.

It has been pointed out that Imran is approaching leaders of the ruling alliance through backchannel for talks. The alliance leadership will discuss Imran’s impatience for dialogue and its motives.

The meeting that will be held at the residence of Shehbaz Sharif would also discuss the ongoing legal issues in the Apex Court. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarrar will brief the meeting about the overall situation in the legal battle being fought in the Supreme Court on the question of elections for provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP and a disputed suo motu.

Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan had an important meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz in Islamabad before the latter’s departure for Lahore. He has also left for Lahore and will also be available for consultations during the meeting.

The sources said that the government would consider the option of boycotting the three-member bench proceedings of the Supreme Court that has come down from the strength of nine to three after judges recused from the bench. The ruling alliance leaders would also consider a proposal to knock on the door of the Supreme Judicial Council on certain matters.

A political strategy to deal with the upcoming agitation by the PTI and Imran would be drawn up in the meeting. The sources indicated that PMLN Quaid Nawaz Sharif will also join the discussion from London. The huddle will discuss the political situation in the country, the sources added.