Maryam, Maulana, Bilawal’s Refusal Puts The Peace Talks Process In Jeopardy.

Coalition partners under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting on JI’s proposed all-parties conference, but it remained inconclusive because of differences of opinion on talking to the PTI.    

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 21, 2023) Pakistan Mulsim League Nawaz Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, Maulana Fazulur Rehman and Bilawal Bhutto have put a damper on efforts to hold a national dialogue.

Taking to Twitter, Maryam Nawaz said prerequisite for talks one party has to be political not terrorist.

"Negotiations or talks are held with political parties, not with terrorists and sedition-mongers. Remember this!," she tweeted.

Maryam Nawaz has been very vocal about her party's stance on national issues and is known for her harsh criticism of the judiciary and certain handlers.

Last but not least, Bilawal Bhutto also held a press conference Thursday, saying the PDM couldn't be made to talk to the PTI by pointing the gun at its head. He said he sees a conspiracy to impose a one-unit system on the country.

Earlier, he visited the belligerent Maulana Fazlur Rehman to seek his point of view on talks with the PTI but to no avail.

The Maulana told a press conference that the Supreme Court had made the person who should have been disqualified the center of politics.

Maryam Nawaz's stance on talks with the PTI and some PML-N stalwarts’ opposition gave a boost to Maulana’s anti-PTI sentiments. Maulana Fazlur Rehman enjoys a strong position in the PDM coalition, and none of its major partners like the PMLN or PPP can afford to upset him at this critical juncture.

Interestingly, the timing of Maulana Fazulur Rehman's presser and the SC's deadline coincided as the latter had ordered updating it on the development by Thursday 4 pm.

However, PPP’s Farooq H Naek told the SC that his party had made a contact with the PTI.

He told journalists outside the SC that he had informed the CJP that more engagements would be made after the EID holidays.

Peace mongering by JI chief Sirajul Haq is said to be a breather in the present-day toxic politics, and he is being praised by all and sundry for his initiative to break the ice and bring all warring parties to negotiations to find a solution to the stalled election process.

Sirajul Haq’s peace efforts get impetus when the Supreme Court, while hearing the defence ministry’s plea against the election in Punjab, asks representatives of all political parties to come to the court to talk about a workable solution to the crisis.

PPP supremo Asif Zardari was the first of PDM bigwigs to advocate dialogue among political parties, and he even backed the SC’s observation of asking all political parties to hold talks to reach a consensus to allow the apex court to show some laxity in the case.

Coalition partners under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting on JI’s proposed all-parties conference, but it remained inconclusive because of differences of opinion on talking to the PTI.