The government and PTI negotiation committees met under the chairmanship of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on December 23, 2024, at the Parliament House in Islamabad. Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee and a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), expressed a positive attitude toward negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stating it would be a significant breakthrough if both sides reached a conclusion before the January 31 deadline.
Speaking on Geo News’ program “Naya Pakistan,” Siddiqui urged both the government and opposition to focus on resolving political disputes within the Parliament’s “Constitution Room” instead of external developments. He emphasized that negotiations would remain uncertain until PTI presented its demands in writing.
Siddiqui clarified that PTI was free to present as many demands as it wished, with no restrictions imposed by the government. He encouraged PTI to join the talks wholeheartedly, reiterating the government’s willingness to facilitate, even to the extent of arranging another meeting with its jailed founder, Imran Khan.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, however, dismissed PTI’s deadline, calling it a “face-saving” tactic. Despite this, the second round of talks is scheduled for January 2, where PTI is expected to table its charter of demands.
