Pak PM's aide dismisses speculation about "backdoor talks" between Imran Khan's party, govt

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 29 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has rejected speculation regarding "ongoing backdoor talks" between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the establishment, The Express Tribune reported. He said that no talks would be held with PTI through unofficial channels.
Earlier, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced that PTI was not involved in talks with other entities. Speaking to a local TV news channel on Tuesday, Sanaullah criticised PTI for not attending the fourth round of dialogue with the government, as per The Express Tribune report.
Sanaullah said, "Political issues can only be resolved through the official dialogue table, which they [PTI] abandoned today." His remarks came after PTI skipped the fourth round of talks scheduled for Tuesday as government did not constitute judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023, riots and the November 26, 2024, Islamabad protest crackdown.
Pakistan PM's aide criticised PTI's political approach over past 10 years and the Imran Khan-founded party of causing damage to the political landscape of Pakistan. He said that PTI missed the opportunity to receive the government's response by not participating in the fourth round of negotiations, according to The Express Tribune reported.
On PTI's demands for establishing judicial commissions, Sanaullah said, "No judge would want to join such a commission given the current circumstances." In response to PTI's warnings of launching protests, he stressed that any protests would be met with legal action. He said, "In a democratic system, issues are resolved at the negotiating table, not on the streets."
The talks between PTI and PML-N-led government started in December last year to reduce political tensions in Pakistan. Since then, the two sides have met thrice. However, the talks were stalled as PTI skipped the fourth round and accused the government of not constituting judicial commissions to carry out probe into the May 9, 2023, protests and the crackdown on PTI demonstrators in Islamabad on November 26, 2024.
The government's talks committee meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday was postponed after representatives of PTI did not attend the meeting, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that the committee would remain intact despite the lack of participation. Before the meeting, Sadiq stated that all members were invited and expressed hope that the members of the Opposition would participate in the meeting.
Sadiq said, "We waited for 45 minutes, but received a message that they would not come." He further said that PTI leaders had told him they would consult the party's top leadership before responding. He said that the Opposition's absence in the meeting made further discussions meaningless and expressed his commitment to facilitating talks.
"My doors remain open, and I hope talks can proceed from both sides," Ayaz Sadiq said. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who was present at the meeting, said the government had prepared a response to the demands raised by PTI and was eager to move the talks forward.
He said, "We came ready to discuss their concerns, but without their presence, how can we respond?" The government remains optimistic about resolving political differences through talks. However, the postponement of the meeting marks another setback in the efforts to bridge the gap between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PTI. (ANI)