Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan requests a meeting with his party team before initiating negotiations with the Pakistan government.
Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, announced on Tuesday during a meeting with his legal team in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, that he demands a meeting with his party’s negotiation team engaged in talks with the government. Khan emphasized that such a meeting would make the negotiation process more meaningful. The 72-year-old leader and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also outlined his party’s demands, stating that if the government agrees, he is willing to postpone the previously announced civil disobedience movement.
Khan has appointed Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza, president of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a coalition partner of PTI, as the spokesperson for the party’s negotiation committee. Raza, who is also the chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights, will play a key role in the negotiation process.
Following his meeting with lawyers, Khan took to Twitter to express his views, stating that the party’s negotiation committee is making commendable efforts. However, he stressed the importance of directly engaging with his designated team to fully understand the key issues and ensure meaningful discussions.
Earlier, on Monday, the Pakistan government, led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and PTI had their first meeting and agreed to continue talks on contentious issues, including Khan’s release from jail. The government had announced the formation of a negotiation committee to initiate formal discussions with PTI.
Khan has also put forward specific demands for the success of the talks. These include the release of all undertrial political prisoners from his party and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the incidents of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2023.
