Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Pakistan to hold talks after ending the long march and sit-ins. He has invited the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end long marches and sit-ins and hold talks with the government, saying that political issues can be resolved through talks.
Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk underpass, the prime minister said that attempts were made to hold talks between the government and the opposition, but the talks could not reach any final conclusion. According to him, the government is still ready for talks to resolve political issues, provided that the long marches and sit-ins are stopped.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the decision to hold talks with the PTI was taken in consultation with the PML-N and the PPP. The government was hopeful of progress from the talks, which were supervised by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, but the two sides could not reach any consensus.
The prime minister claimed that in the final stage of the talks, a demand for changes in some of the agreed issues emerged, due to which the talks could not move forward. On the other hand, the PTI has cited various reasons for the failure of the talks, including the counter-terrorism strategy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and access to Imran Khan.
The prime minister also expressed concern over the potential economic impact of the protest activities. He said that road closures and disruption to business activities could affect industry, exports, imports, and employment.
According to Shehbaz Sharif, steps have been taken in the last two and a half years for economic stability, and now the focus is on economic development. He said that the government will ensure the safety of people’s lives and property and action will be taken as per the law.
The prime minister once again demanded that the PTI end the long marches and sit-ins, saying that the government is ready to sit for talks again if the protests end.
The ceremony was also briefed on the Kashmir Chowk Underpass project. The Prime Minister appreciated Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the relevant team for setting a one-month deadline for the completion of the project.
The prime minister said that the construction of roads and underpasses in Islamabad is aimed at providing better transportation facilities to the citizens. Referring to the Kashmir Chowk project, he expressed hope that in the future this road will reach Kashmir and Srinagar.
We welcome your contributions to The Pakistan Observer. Submit your blogs, opinion pieces, press releases and news features to our editorial team.
Please send your submissions to our News Desk or Editorial team. We look forward to hearing from writers, journalists and contributors.
