ISLAMABAD: Spokesperson for the government negotiation committee Senator Irfan Siddiqui has disapproved the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) meeting with the top military leadership amid a dialogue process with it, saying that negotiations cannot be conducted simultaneously through multiple channels.
“There is no point in peeking through small doors and windows now. If the door they had been striving to open for a year is now open, then they should abandon these minor efforts,” the senator said on Saturday, while referring to a recent meeting between PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
In a post on ‘X’, Siddiqui revealed that he was aware of the details and conversations held during the meeting. He said that Gohar had expressed optimism over the direct dialogue initiated at the highest military level, describing it as a “positive development”.
“Barrister Gohar reportedly stated that both backdoor and front-door processes for negotiations will continue. However, negotiations cannot be conducted simultaneously through multiple channels, and the PTI should choose between ‘back door’ or ‘front door’ negotiations,” he added.
The govt committee spokesperson also noted that PTI founder Imran Khan and his sister Aleema Khan had both welcomed the party chairman’s meeting with the army chief.
Meanwhile, in an interview to a private news channel, Senator Siddiqui suggested the PTI to tell its negotiation committee that talks with the government were no longer necessary, and that it was satisfied with the discussions happening elsewhere.
He pointed out that although leaders from all the political parties participated in a meeting addressing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s security issues, the PTI chairman described it as a “personal meeting and negotiation”, a view that was also endorsed by PTI founder.
Reacting to the PTI founder’s tweet calling the government dishonest and criticising the negotiation team, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senator questioned why would the PTI choose to negotiate with a government it considers dishonest?
He also referenced to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar’s alignment with the PTI founder’s position, especially regarding the call for a single law for both rich and poor, frequently citing the example of the State of Medina. “According to this principle, his appeal should be addressed in due course,” he said.
He further recalled that the PTI founder had previously formed a negotiation committee with the same individuals, urging the speaker to request the prime minister to establish a government negotiation committee. Siddiqui clarified that both the committees had previously agreed that any court ruling would not hinder the negotiation process.
He also mentioned that the government committee would provide a written response to the PTI within seven working days, specifically by January 28.
It may be noted that the former ruling party is currently in talks with the federal government on its demands, which include the release of its founder, Imran, and other PTI leaders and supporters in jail.
The party finally presented its demands to the government’s negotiation committee in writing, seeking probes into the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024 events, as well as the release of “political prisoners”, in the third round of parleys held on January 16.
Later that day, Gohar revealed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and he had recently held a meeting with COAS General Asim Munir in Peshawar.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference alongside religious scholars in Lahore, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar asked the PTI to refrain from using religion in politics for its vested interests.
He criticised the PTI for resorting to religious sentiments after failing to present a legal defence in the £190 million case, which he described as an “open-and-shut” matter with no ambiguities or legal loopholes.
The minister challenged the PTI to clarify whether the £190 million recovered by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) was handed over to Pakistan and questioned if the money was returned to the same individual from whom it was confiscated.
Calling the case one of Pakistan’s most significant legal verdicts, Tarar accused the PTI of using religion to conceal corruption. He alleged that during PTI’s tenure, Shahzad Akbar, head of the Asset Recovery Unit, confirmed to the NCA in 2020 that the funds had been recovered and transferred to Pakistan. However, Tarar claimed the funds were returned to the original offender following cabinet approval in a sealed envelope.
Terming it the largest robbery in Pakistan’s history, Tarar pointed out that PTI’s founder and other accused were convicted in the case. He questioned the source of wealth used by the PTI leader and his wife to purchase a luxury home worth Rs250 million and a 200-kanal property in Lahore. He also alleged that PTI leadership demanded five-carat diamond rings and misused public funds.
The minister stressed that the recovered money was meant for Pakistan’s welfare, including education, health and infrastructure projects, but was instead returned illegally to the offender. He criticised PTI’s actions at sacred sites, such as Masjid-e-Nabwi (SAW), where political protests disrespected the sanctity of the mosque.
Regarding the Al-Qadir Trust case, Tarar alleged that PTI gave the trust a religious facade while using it for personal gain. He highlighted that constructing a mosque or religious institution with stolen money is impermissible.
He stated that the corruption and scandals of the former prime minister had made global headlines, yet the PTI continues to exploit religion for political gain. Tarar demanded that religion should not be used as a tool in politics, asserting that politics does not hold the sanctity that religion does.
Concluding his remarks, Tarar said the government was committed to recovering stolen national wealth for public welfare. Religious scholars present at the event echoed his views, urging political leaders not to use religion as a cover for corruption.
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that the PMLN camp, led by Nawaz Sharif, was feeling uneasy following the recent talks between the PTI and military leadership.
Saif stated that while the PTI was pursuing peace talks, an ‘unelected group’ was trying to derail the process to maintain its illegitimate grip on power. He urged government ministers to honor their oaths and avoid politicising the PTI-military meeting, emphasizing that national interests should take priority over political agendas.
“Nawaz Sharif has instructed his team to sabotage the negotiations,” he claimed, adding that efforts were already underway to undermine the government’s negotiating committee. He further alleged that certain elements were actively working against the country’s political stability and did not want to see a peaceful resolution.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside a court in Lahore, Aleema Khan said that Imran Khan laughed when he heard the verdict against him in the £190 million corruption case.
She said, “When the PTI founder heard the verdict, he laughed. We have entrusted our matter to Allah”, Geo News reported.
Aleema said that the current system needs rectifications as she stressed that the £190 million was in the government’s custody, not Imran’s.
She asserted that the former premier also wanted the judge to announce the verdict as soon as possible as he wanted to challenge it in a superior court. “Once this case lands in the high court, the verdict will be overturned.”
Imran maintains all cases against him are politically motivated and designed to keep him from returning to power.
Meanwhile, talking to the media outside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, PTI founder chairman’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that the determined and courageous party supremo had resolved not to bow to any pressure.
The party founder, he noted, has said that the Al-Qadir Trust is neither Bilawal House nor Avenfield House, and condemned the expulsion of students from the campus of Al-Qadir University on Friday. The lawyer quoted his leader as saying that “Bushra Bibi is a housewife, who has endured hardships to support the PTI founder. Moral decline has come that you do not spare women even in these matters”.
Faisal announced that the message of the party founder was that “we are ready to stay in jails, and we will always stand for principles and ideology”.
“Be it May 9 or November 26, we are demanding a judicial commission. Cheaters never play with neutral umpires. We still want to play with neutral umpires today,” Faisal maintained.
He said that special instructions have been issued to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur regarding the protest and convoys from all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would gather in Peshawar. “We will observe Black Day on February 8 and also call for shutter down.”
He further said that similar protests would be held in all the provinces and in parliament as well.
Separately, former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that PTI founder is not at all worried about the verdict in the 190 million pound case. “I met PTI founder and kissed him and he hugged me,” he remarked.
Talking to the media outside the Adiala jail, Sheikh Rashid stated that the PTI founder said that “you understand politics, Allah is great, He will help us, I said that you will get relief from the high court soon and also recited a poem ‘Yeh to Chalti Hai Tujhe Ooncha Oraanay Kay lye”.
He said that if the judicial commission is not formed, the negotiations would be over. The former minister expressed his ignorance about the meeting between Barrister Gohar and the army chief.
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