The ruling parties have rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request for discussions, claiming that conversations were held with politicians rather than terrorists and that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is now seeking an NRO.
In the midst of a huge crackdown, the PTI head formed a seven-member negotiating team to begin talks with the government in order to reach an agreement on a date for general elections.
This crackdown, which has put the PTI into a severe existential crisis, was initiated after party leaders and workers allegedly vandalised and set fire to state and army facilities in the aftermath of Imran’s imprisonment on May 9.
In response to the invitation, Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), turned to Twitter to emphasise that conversations are only held with politicians. “There will be no talks with a group of terrorists and saboteurs who burn martyrs’ memorials and set the country on fire,” he declared.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said in a statement, “Those who attack the state are punished; they are not negotiated with.” She said that Imran’s request for talks is really a request for an NRO.
When he was in power, Imran Khan frequently stated that former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf used the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to end criminal cases against the leaders of various parties, including the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), but that he would not give “looters” any NRO.
Holding conversations with individuals who desecrated martyr memorials, according to Marriyum, is a defilement of martyrs. She stated that Imran wants to talk after burning ambulances, hospitals, and schools and poisoning the minds of youths, but that there will be no conversations with him.
She claims that non-political parties dissolve in the same way that the PTI has. “Imran has called for talks at a time when his party leaders have deserted him in droves.”
She reminded Imran that he had not met with the opposition on the economy, Kashmir, national security issues, Covid-19, or the FATF issue, but is now pressing him to do so.
Declaring him a “foreign agent” and “Toshakhana thief,” the information minister stated that no negotiations are undertaken with those accused of stealing Rs60 billion since such a person is brought to the court of law, not the negotiating table.
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Shazia Marri, the PPP’s Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, stated Imran was to blame for the crisis that arose after May 9. She claimed that talking about conversations now was a waste of time.
According to the minister, rioters attacked Jinnah House in Lahore and the GHQ in Rawalpindi on Imran’s orders. “He keeps his children in London’s safety but incites the children of the nation to commit anti-state acts,” she remarked.
Marri noted that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is now the country’s foreign minister, attempted to bring political parties to the negotiating table and formed a team of senior leaders for negotiations with political parties. “Imran, however, sabotaged Bilawal’s efforts.”
She blamed Imran’s collapse on his hubris, regretting that the PTI chief refused to enable the PTI to become a political party.
“Talking about negotiations after everything has been done is pretentious,” she declared.
Imran was also identified as the mastermind behind the May 9 assaults by Jamiat Uleme-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah. He claimed that striking military installations amounted to conducting a war against the state. He stated that a rebel is not to be bargained with and deserves harsh punishment.
While predicting that Imran will end up in jail, Hamdullah stated that it was time for the PTI chairman to answer for his misdeeds. “Imran’s invitation to talks is a farce.”
