Govt, opposition conclude first round of talks ahead of PTI’s Oct 4 march

ISLAMABAD
The first round of talks between the government and opposition concluded on Friday, with the two sides set to meet again at 2pm on Saturday in the National Assembly (NA) speaker’s chamber, according to the NA Secretariat. The meeting, chaired by NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, included representatives of the government, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the opposition.
The negotiations come amid continued tensions following PTI’s announcement of an Islamabad march. Although the protest was postponed from September 27 to October 4, the standoff between the federal and provincial governments remains unresolved.
According to the NA spokesperson, detailed discussions were held on the country’s political situation, with the government, PPP and opposition apprising each other of their respective positions. Various matters were discussed in detail and with patience, the spokesperson said.
The second round of negotiations will be held at 2pm on Saturday in the speaker’s chamber, the spokesperson added. The government and PPP stressed the need to resolve national issues with the opposition through negotiations.
According to the statement, the NA Speaker played a key role in facilitating negotiations between the government, PPP and the opposition.
Federal minister Amir Muqam, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry attended the meeting. Senator Sherry Rehman and NA members Naveed Qamar and Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani also participated.
Opposition leaders PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Malik Amir Dogar and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, as well as Salman Akram Raja, attended the meeting.
The round of talks resumed after the Friday prayers as the PTI delegation returned to the speaker’s office. Special prayers for the success of the negotiations were also offered at Parliament after Friday prayers.
The negotiations later went into another break as members of the government and PTI committees held separate consultations. The government delegation remained in the conference room while the PTI delegation moved to the meeting room, with both negotiating committees holding consultations over the situation.
The government committee also deliberated on PTI’s demands. The PTI delegation subsequently returned to the conference room and negotiations between the two sides resumed.