Govt, PTI begin talks at National Assembly speaker’s chamber

Add ARY News on GoogleFollow on Google DiscoverYouTube screenshotAAResizeISLAMABAD: Talks between government and opposition representatives are underway in the chamber of the Speaker of the National Assembly, amid heightened political tensions over the October 4 long march.

The talks come after weeks of escalating tensions between the federal government and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government of PTI over the party’s planned October 4 march on Islamabad.

PTI had initially announced the protest for September 27 but later postponed it to October 4, while the Centre had increasingly discussed constitutional options, including governor’s rule and emergency, citing the deteriorating security situation in the province.

The government delegation includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Rana Sanaullah, Talal Chaudhry and Amir Muqam.

Other members of the government side include Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman and Aijaz Jakhrani.

The opposition delegation comprises Nasir Abbas, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and Salman Akram Raja.

Asad Qaiser, Amir Dogar and Haleem Adil Sheikh are also part of the opposition delegation.

The meeting is being held as part of ongoing consultations between the government and opposition.

Meanwhile, differences emerged between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan leadership over the postponement of the September 27 long march.

Sources in the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan said the leadership was neither taken into confidence over the consultation on the September 27 long march nor informed about its postponement.

The PTI leadership did not share where the long march was supposed to start from and where it was supposed to end, the sources said.

They said the PTI leadership neither formed a coordination committee for the long march nor did any preparations appear to be underway.

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There was also no administrative committee or finance committee for the long march, according to the sources.

The Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan had given the PTI a comprehensive agenda for the long march, the sources said, adding that the PTI announced postponement of the march without consultation.

PTI workers are angry over the postponement of the long march, the sources claimed.

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