'Serious Negotiations Can Only Be With PM Shehbaz,’: Sana Reacts To Imran’s Offer For Talks

Khan's party has been facing the repercussions of state power following the burning and destruction of military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, after his arrest on May 9—an event that the army designated as a "Black Day."

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-June 2^nd, 2023) Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah conveyed to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday that any serious negotiations would exclusively involve Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in response to the party's pursuit of talks following the events of May 9.

In a tweet, the interior minister stated, "If you genuinely wish to negotiate, then negotiations will only take place with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif."

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who previously adamantly refused to engage in discussions with incumbent leaders whom he labeled as "thieves," has now altered his stance and expressed willingness to negotiate with the government.

To facilitate this, he formed a seven-member committee, comprising PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, and former ministers Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and Aun Abbasi.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif recently suggested that Khan, in addition to forming a negotiation team, should create an "alternative" committee due to people continuously leaving his party.

This was exemplified when Khattak announced his resignation as PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president just a day prior.

While the government's senior ministers have firmly rejected the possibility of talks with the PTI leader, Sanaullah had previously hinted that there might be some room for negotiations.

During a recent interview, Sanaullah assured that PM Shehbaz would respond "positively" if approached by the PTI chief for talks.

The interior minister expressed regret that Khan forms committees for negotiations but declines to engage with political adversaries directly.

However, the minister mentioned that, from the government's perspective, it may not be the appropriate time to commence talks with the PTI, as it could distress the families of martyrs due to the incidents on May 9.

Numerous PTI leaders, hailing from all four provinces, have already departed from the party, and further departures are expected, with thousands of workers in custody for their alleged involvement in acts of vandalism.

Khan's party has been facing the repercussions of state power following the burning and destruction of military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, after his arrest on May 9—an event that the army designated as a "Black Day."