Khawaja Saad Rafique supports talks with PTI

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways and PML-N senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Wednesday he is in favour of holding talks with the opposition party for the sake of country, ARY News reported.

Taking to his Twitter handle on Wednesday, Saad Rafique wrote: “I am in favor of dialogue and I have also given my opinion within the party.”

“But the Imran company has ruined political environment by indulging in abuses, conspiracies and slander. How to communicate in an environment of mistrust? If talks happen, how could they be productive?

“Imran worked very hard to make politics hateful, now he is picking his own thorns. “However, despite the mistrust and conflicts, the way out lies in talking to each other for Pakistan,” he said.

Meanwhile, the meeting of ruling coalition yesterday remained unable to decide on holding talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led opposition amid deepening political and judicial crisis.

Sources told ARY News that the coalition parties failed to agree on holding talks with PTI Chairman Imran Khan despite the insistence of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.

During the meeting, majority of political forces – including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Khalid Magsi, Mohsin Dawar and others – voiced their support to Bilawal Bhutto’ stance.

However, sources claimed, Jamat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) opposed the PPP’s stance of holding negotiations. “Imran Khan is not a political force,” sources said while quoting JUI-F, while JWP’s Shahzain Bugti said that his party did not oppose talks but “Imran is a liar”.