The ongoing talks between the government and the opposition in Islamabad have entered an important phase; however, due to disagreements over the Long March issue and the meeting with the founder of PTI, there has been a temporary deadlock in the talks. No final consensus was announced due to both sides sticking to their own positions.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, contacted Barrister Gohar and Asad Qaiser on the telephone during the negotiation process. According to the sources, it was emphasized in the conversation that a final decision would be taken only after meeting the founder of PTI.
Earlier there were reports of progress in the negotiations and talks of drafting the agreement. According to sources, the government linked the end of the long march to progress in negotiations, while the opposition raised issues related to the meeting with the PTI founder, the release of his sisters, and the arrest of party workers and parliamentarians.
According to the leaders involved in the negotiations, the matter of trust between the parties was also important. The government delegation expressed reservations over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s statement regarding the long march. The opposition questioned some of the statements of the government officials and said that an atmosphere of trust is necessary to carry forward the talks.
Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq is leading the negotiation process. The government team includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ameer Muqam, Talal Chaudhry, Rana Sanaullah, and representatives of the People’s Party. On behalf of the opposition, Barrister Gohar, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Aamir Dogar, and other leaders are participating in the talks.
People’s Party leader Naveed Qamar said during the talks that there will be no long march and no emergency will be imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, this is his statement and cannot be seen as a final agreement between the government and the opposition.
On the other hand, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat expressed reservations about the purpose of the talks and called it an attempt to end the long march. Their position is different from the position of the government and negotiating parties.
In the current situation, the real difference seems to be in the future of the long march and the meeting with the PTI founder. After the first round, both sides agreed to continue the talks, while the second round held today also discussed the same basic points.
The talks between the government and the opposition are taking place at a time when the proposed October 4 long march is around the corner. Therefore, the upcoming meetings will be important. Based on currently available information, no final agreement or the end of the long march has been announced.
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