Minister sees ‘positive progress’ in talks with PTI

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar on Wednesday said that positive progress had been made on various points in the ongoing talks between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported.

Speaking in National Assembly, Naveed Qamar – who is part of the government negotiation team – said: “We want to solve the issues amicably with the PTI, we desire success and progress on this front.”

The PPP leader said that ruling collation had showed all the flexibility that needed, and showed their respect for constitution.

The minister said that it was the stance of the Pakistan of Peoples Party that political issues could be solved through dialogue. He was of the view that an election on same day was best for the country.

He said that it was the stance of the government that National Assembly, Sindh and Balochistan assemblies should not be dissolved before the time.

The minister said that through dialogue, the government wanted to make thinks acceptable to all. “This can be achieved through flexibility not through rigid stance,” he added.

He said that political leadership always showed flexibility to solve the issues.

He said that political dialogue had been started with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to come out from the current political crisis in the building of the parliament.

The minister said that various round of talks held with the PTI. He said that PPP had taken all the political forces on board to bring the country out of the current challenges.

The parliament had the authority to make the legislation and the constitution for the welfare and to run the affairs of the country, he added.

Third round of talks

A day earlier, the third round of talks between delegations of ruling coalition and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) concluded, with both sides agreeing on holding general elections on the same day across the country.

Talking to media after the meeting, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar from the government’s side said that a consensus was reached on holding elections on the same day across the country under a caretaker setup.

The finance minister noted that both sides tabled their proposals on date for holding general elections. “Both the side still don’t agree on one point in the agenda,” he said, adding that another round will soon take place.

Ishaq Dar further said that the delegations will consult with their respective leaders, adding that flexibility was being shown from both sides in the negotiations.

Separately, Shah Mahmood Qureshi from PTI side – while talking to journalists – also confirmed the development, saying that they had “shown flexibility for the sake of national consensus”.

The PTI senior vice chairman noted that his side has agreed on some points in the negotiations with the government team. “We have agreed on holding elections on the same day across the country under a caretaker setup,” he added.

Political impasse

It is to be noted here that the government had assured the Supreme Court of holding talks with the opposition over elections in two provinces on April 26.

During SC’s last hearing on polls delay case, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had assured the Supreme Court that they will sit with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and try to find a solution on the election date.

The Supreme Court – in its April 4 order – declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone elections to the Punjab Assembly till October 8 “unconstitutional” and fixed May 14 as new date.

The National Assembly later passed a resolution rejecting the three-member Supreme Court bench’s verdict on the Punjab polls, stating that it would not provide funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for polls.