Observer Report
Islamabad
The federal government, after the two-day ultimatum given to Prime Minister Imran Khan by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expired, during a meeting decided to negotiate with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The meeting of the government’s negotiating committee took place at Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani’s house. Sanjrani reportedly told participants of the meeting that the government should seriously negotiate with Fazl to resolve the crisis.
“Fazlur Rehman has still not violated the agreement hence we should also talk to him,” Sanjrani was quoted as saying.
“We are always ready to negotiate,” said Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday ruled out any possibility of pardon for opposition leaders, saying that any agreement with them would be equivalent to treachery with the country.
In a post on Facebook, the prime minister said, “Unless they are held accountable, the country could not be put on track of progress. They just want to hear three words ‘NRO’ from me, which I will never utter as it will amount to treachery with the country.” The government’s negotiation committee also decided to send in PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to hold talks with the opposition’s Rehbar Committee. Ch Shujaat will be reaching Islamabad today to meet Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a news channel said. Meawhile, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser made contact with Akram Khan Durrani, the head of the opposition’s Rehbar Committee and recommended that the two sides hold a meeting.
“We are politicians. Our doors are always open for negotiations,” Durrani assured Qaiser. Durrani also told the Speaker that the opposition’s demands are still the same and they stand by them. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, in a telephonic conversation with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has told him that “two big opposition parties have accepted you as their leader”.
