ISLAMABAD: The opposition PTI on Tuesday signalled willingness to engage in reconciliation talks with the ruling coalition, but only if certain tough conditions, including withdrawal of all cases against founding party chairman Imran Khan, were met.
The offer was made by a couple of lawmakers belonging to PTI in the National Assembly during a debate on President Asif Zardari’s address to a joint sitting of parliament as the house for the second consecutive day witnessed verbal skirmishes with members accusing each other of seeking military’s support and undermining democratic institutions.
“Invitations for talks have come from Rana Sanaullah, the political adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif …. as well as President Asif Zardari. I want to put this before the house on behalf of PTI, as to when Imran Khan has refused to hold negotiations?” said PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan while taking part in the debate.
“We believe that if Pakistan is to be put on the right track, then we [the politicians] will have to make decisions. We do not need any broker, dealer or individual who brings us to sit together,” he said, adding that when they would take their fight outside parliament, “then the Supreme Court will come into action, and Pindi [a reference to GHQ] and Aabpara [a reference to the ISI head office] and many other forces will come into action”, said Mr Khan, who served as the parliamentary affairs minister during the previous PTI government.
He asked the speaker to take initiative in this regard, stating that their first point was the release of Imran Khan and other “political prisoners” as well as withdrawal of all “political cases”.
Mr Khan said he was not defending the atrocities committed in the past, adding that everyone required to speak the truth. He said he was ashamed of his grandfather’s mistake of joining Gen Ayub Khan’s cabinet and Gen Ziaul Haq’s Majlis-i-Shoora, adding that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s grandfather was also a member of Gen Ayub’s cabinet.
The PTI MNA also mentioned the arrest of Nawaz Sharif by Gen Musharraf, saying they could not support such an action. He said Imran Khan was being punished like his predecessors when they tried to make independent decisions.
