ISLAMABAD - The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) negotiating teams scheduled meeting could not be held on Wednesday due to the engagements of mainstream political parties in the all parties conference held here at Prime Minister's House to give approval to the action plan on counter-terrorism.
However, in media interaction, PTI leader Arif Alvi claimed that government and PTI teams had reached agreement on constitution of judicial commission to probe the rigging charges in the 2013 General Elections.
Replying to media persons' questions, Alvi said both sides had agreement on constitution of judicial commission and this agreement between the government and PTI on audit of 2013 General Elections would also be shared with other mainstream political parties as well.
However, on other hand, a senior leader in ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz expressed his ignorance about any such agreement with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and said the matter would likely be resolved soon when both sides would sit across the table to finalise modalities of inquiry into the rigging charges.
Sources in government confirmed that both sides were scheduled to meet at the residence of PTI Secretary General Jahangir Khan Tareen but the meeting was put off with mutual consultation as the leaders of both the parties were busy in all parties conference to finalise the action plan against terrorists and remained in session till late at night on Wednesday.
When asked about the next meeting between the two sides, sources in ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) informed The Nation that the meeting date would be fixed with the mutual consultation of both the negotiation teams.
In the fresh round of negotiations, ruling PML-N is being represented by Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal while PTI by Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar. But in the only maiden meeting, held after resumption of negotiations, the PTI side was represented by Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Jahangir Khan Tareen.
It is pertinent to mention here that before the resumption of negotiations Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that government was ready to constitute judicial commission as the non-negotiable demand of prime minister's resignation was withdrawn by the PTI leadership.
Ahsan Iqbal, after meeting the PTI negotiating team, said they would hopefully land at same page in a week's time and said both sides had made significant progress in thrashing out contentious issues.
Sources aware of the developments taking place on this front informed The Nation that still both sides needed time to resolve contentious issues mainly relating to the terms of reference of proposed judicial commission and definition of rigging.