ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has refused to attend any meeting of the negotiation committee as National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq summoned the fourth meeting between the government and the opposition party.
NA Speaker Sadiq, who has been facilitating negotiations between both sides, has summoned the session at 11:45pm on January 28.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee, has said that the PTI has been invited to the negotiation committee meeting. “The PTI hasn’t informed [us] in writing about calling off the talks,” he remarked.
However, refusing to be part of any further dialogue session, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters that the party would not attend the fourth round of talks scheduled for January 28.
Separately, speaking to the media outside Parliament House earlier, Senator Siddiqui censured the former ruling party for Thursday’s announcement of calling off the parleys.
“We have not called off the negotiations, but when one side abruptly ends the talks, whom are we supposed to negotiate with? Should we sit in a room and talk to the walls?” he said.
He criticised the unpredictability of the opposing side, saying: “The issue is that the prison gates open, and someone suddenly makes an announcement without the negotiation committee even being informed.”
