Chapter of talks with govt now closed, says Imran Khan’s party leader Omar Ayub

Islamabad : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan has ruled out the possibility of resumption of the dialogue between the former ruling party and the incumbent government, The News reported on Sunday.

“The chapter of talks is now closed,” Ayub said on Saturday, adding that political negotiations were not based on mere wishes but required firm commitments, which the government failed to demonstrate.

Censuring the coalition government’s approach towards talks, which now seem to have collapsed, the senior PTI leader said that his party’s committee had initiated discussions in good faith, but the other side neither displayed goodwill nor intent, which led to a deadlock.

His remarks come against the backdrop of the negotiations between the PTI and the ruling government — which commenced in late December after months of heightened political tensions — failed to witness any notable progress despite the two sides holding three negotiation sessions.

The PTI, which also presented its written charter of demands, refused to attend the fourth round of talks citing the government’s failure to form a judicial commission to probe the May 9 riots and November 2024 protests.

Since then the Imran Khan-founded party has hinted at agitation and even held a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi a day earlier to observe ‘Black Day’ on Saturday — against alleged rigging in the general elections last year.

With the future of parleys left uncertain, a spokesman for the National Assembly has clarified that Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had not formally invited the PTI for negotiations but merely stated that, as the custodian of the House, his doors remain open to all members.

Responding to a statement by PTI’s Ayub, the spokesman said a formal invitation for talks would only be extended if requested by either the government or the opposition. He reiterated that the speaker’s role was to facilitate dialogue and that both his chamber and residence remain accessible to all lawmakers.

Separately, echoing Ayub’s remarks on the future of talks, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui also said that the government’s negotiation committee had become “practically non-functional and ineffective”.

In a statement on X, he said regardless of whether the committee was formally dissolved, it was no longer operational. He noted that the PTI unilaterally withdrew from the negotiation process and subsequently rejected the prime minister’s offer to reconsider their stance.

The senator accused the PTI of returning to its “home ground of violent protests” and stated that if the party later decides to engage in talks, the government may reassess its options at that time.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has clarified that the party was not seeking intervention from any country, including the United States, for the release of its founder.

“We are not asking any country, including the US, for Khan’s release. He has made no deal and will not make any deal.

“As Khan himself stated, we are negotiating not for a deal, but for Pakistan and democracy,” Gohar said in a statement. — (Geo News)