ISLAMABAD - Ruling PML-N and PTI teams once again failed to hammer out differences on three contentious points and would likely meet again, with the aim to land on the same page on transparent inquiry into the rigging charges in 2013 General Elections through a high-powered judicial commission.
Both the negotiating teams had brief media chat, separately, after the meeting. Government negotiating team head Ishaq Dar still sounding optimistic about ending up in some agreement with PTI saying that they had final word of PTI negotiators on contentious points and after having input from the party leadership and other parliamentary parties heads would come up with reply. But no timeline for the next meeting was given by either party.
However, the body language of both the sides did not reflect in their words and it seemed as if the deadlock between the two sides on the contentious issues has further hardened.
PTI negotiating team head Shah Mahmood Qureshi seemed a bit disappointed saying they had shown a lot of flexibility and gave their final proposal to government team on Dec 27 and came today with the mind to sign an agreement with ruling PML-N. But once again Ishaq Dar has sought more time for consultation and left the negotiation table with the promise to come back with final and formal reply.
Qureshi said on their part they had concluded negotiations with government team in their last sitting on Dec 27 and were expecting inking of an agreement with them now but government team sought more time for consultation with party leadership.
To a question, he said they had shown maximum flexibility and gave their final wish-list to the government and now ball is in their court.
On the other hand Senator Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal, in a brief media chat after the meeting, said PTI team had given their point of view on three contentious points and now they would have final word on it with the party leadership.
To a question, he denied deadlock on the definition of rigging and referred to some serial numbers of their point to point discussion with PTI in the past to avoid disclosing the contentious points on which both sides had failed to evolve consensus.
To another query, Dar said the impression of deadlock on the definition of rigging was totally wrong but at the same time he declined to give the points on which they were not on the same page with PTI.
To another question, Dar said they had to take along all the parliamentary parties and after having input from the party leadership they would also take parliamentary parties heads into confidence on the matter.
Dar claimed that both government and PTI were on same page regarding the inquiry of rigging charges in 2013 General Elections through judicial commission for which both sides were busy finalising modalities and terms of reference of the whole exercise.
To a question, Dar said they could not discuss the final word of the PTI negotiating team with prime minister because he was busy preparing for the follow-up meeting on National Action Plan on counter-terrorism.