Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif urges Shehbaz Sharif to keep national interest supreme in talks with Imran Khan's party

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 20 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has urged Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to keep the national interest supreme in the ongoing talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), The Express Tribune reported.
According to the statement released by PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif briefed Nawaz Sharif on talks with PTI and other important issues, including the current political and economic situation of the country. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also attended the meeting which took place in Jati Umra and lasted for two hours.
During the meeting, Nawaz Sharif emphasised the need for national unity in the present circumstances. PML-N's top leadership was informed that the government's efforts to address economic woes of Pakistan had borne fruit and the inflation had witnessed a significant decline.
The statement released by PML-N said, "The meeting was informed that the situation is moving in a positive direction." According to the statement, Nawaz Sharif expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the government to reduce inflation and provide relief to the people, The Express Tribune reported.
"The PML-N government will continue to serve the people," the statement quoted Nawaz Sharif as saying in the meeting.
The demands presented by PTI to the government in the third round of dialogue held last week also considered during the meeting, according to the statement. Shehbaz Sharif briefed party leadership about latest status of the negotiations that were taking place between the government and Imran Khan-founded party, The Express Tribune reported.
On January 16, the PTI formally submitted its 'charter of demands' to the government in the third round of negotiations between the two sides, Dawn reported. Negotiations between the government and the PTI began in December as an attempt to de-escalate political tensions. However, significant progress has yet to be made on pivotal concerns, including the establishment of a judicial commission and the release of PTI members detained in political cases.
The meeting was held under the supervision of the National Assembly Speaker and was attended by six representatives from the opposition, including three PTI leaders, and eight from the government.
The opposition was represented by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen chief Senator Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
During the meeting, the government's side was represented by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP MNAs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, prime minister's aide Rana Sanaullah, and MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar.
During the meeting, the PTI presented a three-page document detailing its demands, signed by all six opposition members present. These demands include two primary objectives: the formation of judicial commissions and the government's cooperation in facilitating legal relief for political prisoners.
The PTI specifically called for two judicial commissions to be established under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017, each led by either the Chief Justice of Pakistan or three serving Supreme Court judges mutually agreed upon by the government and opposition.
The PTI further asserted that the establishment of these commissions was essential to demonstrate the government's commitment to addressing their concerns. The party stated, "We shall not be able to continue with the negotiations if the two commissions sought by us are not agreed to in principle and constituted forthwith," Dawn reported.
One of the commissions is expected to investigate the legality of events surrounding the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The PTI has demanded an in-depth inquiry into the actions of law enforcement during the arrest, the subsequent nationwide protests, and the circumstances under which individuals targeted high-security locations.
The party also demanded a review of media restrictions and the government's internet shutdowns during the unrest, emphasising the need for accountability. The second commission would probe the crackdown on the PTI's November 'Final Call' protest in Islamabad, where tensions escalated after clashes between protestors and law enforcement. (ANI)