Abbasi wants govt-PTI talks within parliament

FAISALABAD: Former prime minister and Awam Pakistan Party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has emphasized that negotiations between the government and the PTI should take place within the parliament.

Speaking to media after offering condolences to the family of the late PMLN leader Israr Ahmed Mane Khan, Abbasi stressed the need to end the ongoing political circus in the country. He said no single political party was in a position to resolve national issues and called for unity to replace discord. He acknowledged the PTI’s right to protest but criticized repeated attempts by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to challenge the federal government.

He was accompanied by former federal parliamentary secretary Rana Zahid Tauseef and Raja Daniyal during the interaction.

Highlighting the need for structured negotiations, Abbasi pointed out the absence of a clear agenda in talks between the government and the PTI. Reflecting on Pakistan’s political system, he stated that there was no guarantee for completing parliamentary terms, citing the 2018 sentencing of Nawaz Sharif just before the general elections. He raised concerns about delays in court verdicts, stating that withholding decisions undermined the justice system and halted national progress in the absence of the rule of law.

He criticized the slow internet speed in Pakistan, labeling it a fundamental hurdle for the economy and development, and pointed out that Pakistan is the only country where internet speed is deliberately reduced. Commenting on the current political scenario, he remarked: “Imran Khan is in jail, what can a person in jail do? The events of November 26 are before everyone, and mistakes have been made on both sides.” He condemned the KP government’s repeated confrontations with the federal government and expressed relief that the concept of electronic voting introduced by Imran Khan was not implemented, as it would have left no trace of electoral fraud.