PTI only interested in meeting with ‘strong quarters’, Hammad says
PTI leader: We won’t waste our time bargaining with “puppets.”
ISLAMABAD:
On Friday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) walked away from the current administration, stating it was only interested in negotiations with the ‘strong stakeholders’ to restore the Constitution and democracy in the country.
Former minister of economic affairs and PTI Secretary General Central Punjab Hammad Azhar made it clear that the former ruling party perceives the actual power residing in the hands of the establishment.
The ex-minister, who was just added to PTI’s negotiation team, said that talking to the ruling alliance’s top brass was pointless. Hamad, in a statement, claimed the current authorities are “imposed people with no vote bank” and that the government should not waste time dealing with puppets.
Hammad claimed that the PML-N administration was using its crutches to avoid responsibility, adding, “for the sake of restoration of the Constitution and democracy, negotiations have only been offered with the real decision-makers.”
The ruling parties have turned down Imran Khan, the former prime minister who is currently in a precarious position, for discussions, saying that previous negotiations had been with politicians rather than terrorists and that Khan, as PTI leader, is now looking for a national rescue order.
The PTI president formed a seven-member negotiating team to meet with the government to find common ground on a date for general elections, and this new development coincided with the announcement of the team.
After Khan’s detention on May 9, party leaders and members allegedly vandalized and set fire to state and army facilities, prompting this crackdown. This has plunged the PTI into a grave existential crisis, with hundreds of prominent party leaders jumping ship every day.
PTI has been trying to find a way in with the higher-ups for the past few weeks, but so far, no luck has come their way. Minister of the Interior Rana Sanaullah recently blasted the previous premier for being unwilling to meet with current political figures.
The interior minister was very straightforward in telling Khan that if he wanted conversation, he should call Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instead of wasting time setting up committees.
Khan has avoided meeting his political opponents face to face for many years because he believes that shaking hands with them will disrupt his narrative and damage his support among voters.
PM Shehbaz, who is also the opposition leader in the National Assembly, has extended an olive branch to his bitter adversary on multiple occasions, but until the last meeting between government and PTI leaders to set election dates, their efforts had never progressed beyond words.
Talks between the government and PTI reached an impasse when PTI leaders declared there was no chance of success. Then, on May 9, everything altered. Nonetheless, PTI maintains its position that it should only communicate with the authorities and not its political adversaries.
