ISLAMABAD - With patience running out and fresh ultimatum of showdown being advanced by both PTI and PAT leaderships, the mediators have stepped up their efforts to defuse soaring tension and convince both the sides to sit across the negotiation table and find out some mutually acceptable solution to the imbroglio.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement team rushed to the protest camp of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) after the fierce speech of Allama Tahirul Qadri and once again persuaded him to resolve the issue through negotiations.
In another development Jamaat-i-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq held meeting with PTI central leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Jahangir Khan Tareen to soften their stance to get matters resolved through talks.
Former president and Co-Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari also rang up PTI chief Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League chief Sh Rasheed Ahmad to discuss ways and means to end the stalemate.
After chairing the central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the party, former president contacted these leaders and asked them to remain peaceful and show flexibility in their stance for the greater interest of democracy and continuity of the system.
Zardari also constituted a committee comprising Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah, Mian Raza Rabbani, Ch Aitzaz Ahsan and Qamar Zaman Kaira to contact both government and the protesting parties and help soften their hardened stand on some points to help pave the way for negotiated settlement of the issue.
On Monday evening MQM central leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghouri and Haider Abbass Rizvi met Allama Tahirul Qadri in container and asked him not to take any extreme step and let the political forces resolve the issue through negotiations.
Sources aware of developments informed that Allama Tahirul Qadri said that government was not serious in negotiations and just buying time by engaging them in what he termed meaningless dialogue. He said he had made it clear to the government people who had held meetings with him during the last few days that PAT would not hold talks before the registration of FIR in the Model Town tragedy and inquiry under an impartial and independent judicial commission.
Sources further informed that Allama Tahirul Qadri told the MQM delegation that how they could trust the government when they were not even ready to lodge FIR into Model Town carnage on their application. He said if force would be used against their peaceful protesters government would be responsible for the fall out. He made it loud and clear that they would lay down their lives but would not leave the place without getting their demands met.
Sources in MQM informed that MQM leaders saw the demand of registration of Model Town case justified while asked PAT leadership to soften his stance on the demand disbandment of assemblies and removal of government as according to them the demand was unjust and beyond the domain of constitution.
After a break of couple of days Jamaat-I-Islami leadership sprang into action again and on Monday JI chief Sirajul Haq held detailed meeting with PTI central leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Jahangir Khan Tareen in Islamabad.
Later, talking to media persons JI ameer Sirajul Haq was optimistic about breaking the impasse and resolution of the issue through negotiations.