Talks should not be conditional: Barrister Gohar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has expressed reservations over the government making the talks conditional on ending the long march and said that political issues should be resolved through talks.

Talking to the media at Parliament House, Barrister Gohar said that PTI is not refusing talks; however, the talks should be in an open environment rather than with any conditions. According to him, the path of communication between the parties in political matters should not be closed.

He said that the purpose of the talks was to find a solution to the current political differences, including the issue of the long march. He said that even if the march reaches Islamabad, the need for talks on the demands will remain.

Barrister Gohar clarified that he did not meet Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi last night. He said that he keeps the meetings and discussions held during the talks open instead of hiding them.

According to the PTI chairman, the political atmosphere became more bitter after the arrest of the sisters and cousin of the founder of PTI. He said that despite these circumstances, efforts should continue to resolve issues through political communication.

He said that the party took several steps to reach the negotiating table and the process of talks was not an easy one. According to him, political issues are not resolved overnight, so practical progress in the talks is necessary.

Barrister Gohar said that the long march will proceed from Peshawar to Khyber and then to Islamabad via Pirodhai. He said that he will also meet Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in the future.

Talks between the government and PTI are currently at a standstill. In the recent talks, several points, including issues related to counter-terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, could not be agreed upon.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the other hand, has urged PTI to end the long march and come back to the negotiating table. The government is of the view that political differences should be resolved through talks.