| Barrister Aqeel says govt preparing committee for negotiations  | PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas says it is govt’s job to initiate talks  | PTI says will not make the first move.

ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister’s aide on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has hinted at ‘progress’ in holding talks with the former ruling party, reiterating that political issues should be resolved through dialogue. A day earlier, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had issued a new ultimatum of launching a civil disobedience movement if his “legitimate demands” were not met. “[National Assembly] speaker has contacted the prime minister [...] I think there will be progress in this regard in a day or two,” he said while responding to a question regarding the formation of the government committee for talks with PTI on a private TV proramme.

The jailed PTI founder — in a post on X — had warned the government of launching a civil disobedience movement if his “legitimate demands” including the release of under-trial political prisoners and a judicial probe into May 9 events and Nov 26 crackdown on PTI protesters are not met by Sunday (Dec 22).

“These are both legitimate demands, and if the government does not implement them by Sunday, the first phase of the civil disobedience movement, ‘boycott of remittances’, will be launched,” the ousted prime minister added.

The PM’s aide statement comes against the backdrop of prevailing ambiguity surrounding the PTI-government dialogue which has been the talk of the town ever since Imran formed a negotiation committee.

Sana said every issue could be discussed, however, no guarantee could be given about which demand will be accepted. In response to a question, he said the PTI negotiation committee was in contact with NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. Furthermore, he said the current political crisis actually began in 2018, adding that his party had suffered all of these which the PTI was complaining about.

When asked whether the Al-Qadir Trust Case’s verdict, scheduled to be announced on Dec 23 (Monday), will derail the talks, the PM’s aide said the case was underway in a trial court, adding that he does not think the decision would impact the negotiation process.

Separately, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik on Friday said the government was preparing a committee to negotiate with the PTI, with the members likely to be announced over the weekend.

Speaking on a TV programme, the government’s legal adviser confirmed that the government was creating a negotiation team of its own.

“We were waiting for the prime minister to return from the D-8 summit,” Malik said. “We are preparing our own committee and are going to seek input from our allies so that they are reflected [in the decision making]. I expect this committee to be formed either tomorrow or by the end of this week,” he added.

The adviser did not mention any possible committee members by name, but said it would include “senior government leaders” and “senior government allies”.

Aqeel also mentioned that the NA speaker was willing to host meetings between both negotiating teams. “I think it will be beneficial for the committees to meet at the speaker’s chamber to establish the terms and the agenda,” he stated. Asked about the PTI’s threat of civil disobedience, the adviser said that the PTI “cannot coerce the government on one hand while inviting them to negotiate with the other”.

He added: “If you want to negotiate, then it must be all-encompassing.”

Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said that his party had constituted a committee for negotiations. “An impression is being given that our party has surrendered,” he said, adding that that is not the case.

“It is their [the government’s] job to begin the negotiations, we will not make the first move,” Akram clarified. In response to a question on a private news channel’, he said that engagements between the government and PTI do take place but they should not be called negotiations.