Govt, PTI to meet halfway amid uncertainty

As confusion continues to swirl around the talks and the deadline for civil disobedience looms large, both the government and PTI seemed on Friday to be tiptoeing towards a possible compromise, although a cloud of uncertainty remained over the nature of dialogue.While the PTI cautioned against mistaking the formation of a dialogue committee for “surrender” or “dialogue”, stressing that it was but an ‘engagement’, the government, while seeing progress in the coming days, clarified that no guarantees could be made regarding which demands would be accepted and which would not.Adviser to the Prime Minister on Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik confirmed on Friday that the government was preparing to form a committee to negotiate with the PTI. The members of this committee were expected to be announced over the weekend.Speaking on a private news channel, Malik confirmed the creation of the negotiation team, stating, “We were waiting for the prime minister to return from the D-8 summit.”He added, “We are preparing our own committee and are going to seek input from our allies so that they are reflected [in the decision-making]. I expect this committee to be formed either tomorrow or by the end of this week.”Although Malik did not name specific members of the committee, he indicated it would include “senior government leaders” and “senior government allies”.He said that the National Assembly speaker was willing to host meetings between the two negotiating teams. “I think it will be beneficial for the committees to meet at the speaker’s chamber to establish the terms and the agenda,” he said.Reacting to PTI’s threat of civil disobedience, Malik said that the PTI “cannot coerce the government on one hand while inviting them to negotiate with the other.” “If you want to negotiate, then it must be all-encompassing.”Regarding tensions with coalition ally PPP, Malik dismissed any notion of animosity. “The PPP aren’t angry with us and we are engaging them,” he said. He went on to say, “Ishaq Dar is chairing a committee aimed at addressing the PPP’s concerns.”According to Malik, the committee had already submitted an initial report and was set to meet with the PPP on December 24.’No guarantee’On the other hand, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that it would have been impossible for the prime minister to act without the backing of both the PML-N and the establishment when inviting the opposition to negotiations.Sanaullah, while speaking to a private news channel, said, “The PML-N is in favor of resolving political issues through dialogue”.He said that if the PTI had formed a committee and the speaker was willing to facilitate, negotiations could proceed, but he warned, “There is no guarantee we will agree to anything, we have our own stance, as they do.”He also mentioned that the premier and the speaker had already met and that the committee “to be announced in a day or two” would likely move forward.When asked about the lack of contact between the negotiating parties, Sanaullah explained, “We don’t need them to contact the government but there is a neutral office that is open at all times. To my knowledge, the PTI’s committee is in contact with that office.”Sanaullah emphasized the importance of dialogue, citing historical examples of successful negotiations, such as with Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the madrassa registration bill. When asked about the impact of the £190 million case against Imran Khan on the negotiations, he said that the issue was separate from the talks. “It is not in our hands, it is with the courts,” Sanaullah said.”It should not affect the talks – it is an entirely separate matter. Political dialogue should happen.”‘Engagements’ not ‘meaningful dialogue’Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram rejected reports suggesting the party had refused to initiate talks.Speaking on a private news channel, Akram said, “If the concerned quarters form committees, we can show this to Imran Khan and he can make a decision”.When asked whether the PTI had reached out to the NA speaker, Akram responded negatively. “If Sadiq’s office is open then why would we need to reach out? If anyone wants to speak to the committee, they can reach out to us.”He also clarified the distinction between “engagement” and “meaningful dialogue,” saying, “Engagement happens all the time. It is how we secured the Sangjiani venue for our rally. But this is not the same as political dialogue. Our demands will not be fulfilled this way”.