ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: In a significant political development in Pakistan, two high-ranking members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s imprisoned party met with army chief General Asim Munir. Concurrently, party representatives formally communicated their demands to the government in an effort to alleviate ongoing political tensions.
Imran Khan, the 72-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), spoke to the media from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail about the meeting occurring between his party leaders and the army chief. Khan indicated that PTI has been striving for a dialogue on the negotiation table for quite some time, as reported by Geo News.
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the encounter, stating, “What Imran Khan has shared regarding my meeting with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is accurate.” He and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held separate discussions with General Munir in Peshawar this week. Gohar emphasized that the critical matter was ensuring that the party’s demands were directly communicated to the army chief, describing the direct negotiations with the military establishment as a promising step toward resolving the ongoing challenges.
Barrister Gohar elaborated: “During our meeting with COAS Munir, Ali Amin Gandapur and I laid out all of PTI’s concerns and priorities.” Reports suggest that Gohar was flown to Peshawar via helicopter for this meeting, which coincided with General Munir’s visit to the region where he met key provincial political figures and reiterated that politics cannot exist without a state.
This meeting marks a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s political landscape following last year’s general elections, during which the PTI accused the establishment of election rigging, leading to a conflict with the military.
In a separate development, the PTI has officially presented its political demands to the government during the third round of negotiations. Talks began on December 23, with the second round occurring on January 2. The third round was ultimately held at the Parliament House after delays, facilitated by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and attended by six PTI officials and eight government representatives.
Participants from the opposition included National Assembly Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI leader Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen chief Senator Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja. The government team comprised Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Pakistan Peoples Party leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, political aide to the prime minister Rana Sanaullah, and representatives from allied government parties.
The PTI submitted a formal charter of demands outlining two key requests: the establishment of two judicial commissions to investigate the protests of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, alongside a call for government support regarding bail, sentence suspensions, and acquittals for “political prisoners” identified by the PTI. The opposition insisted on forming the Commissions within seven days, composed of the chief justice or three nominated Supreme Court judges, as mutually agreed upon by the PTI and the government.
The PTI’s demands include an inquiry into how individuals reached high-security areas where property damage was reportedly incurred, along with a request for examination of the CCTV footage from those locations. They urged the government to demonstrate seriousness by establishing these commissions promptly.
The concurrent talks between the PTI and the government, along with direct engagement with the military, indicate a determined effort by all parties to address the prevailing political strife in the country. (PTI)
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