ISLAMABAD, DEC 24: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed offer for holding the negotiations. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party would not take part in any form of dialogue with the government, terming the prime minister’s offer as ‘contradictory’. He said that if the prime minister could not facilitate a meeting between PTI founder Imran Khan and Sohail Afridi, there was no basis for talks. He added that Imran Khan has delegated the authority for negotiations to Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas.

It is pertinent to note that, while speaking at a federal cabinet meeting a day earlier, PM Shehbaz said the government remained committed to its principled stance of peaceful dialogue with all political parties for national development, prosperity and political harmony. He said he had personally extended offers of dialogue to all political parties on several occasions, and that any attempt to undermine law and order under the pretext of political dialogue would not be allowed to succeed.

Meanwhile, following the Prime Minister’s offer of talks to PTI, the National Dialogue Committee has also become active. A committee comprising Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail and Mahmood Molvi welcomed the prime minister’s offer.

The committee has written to the prime minister, requesting the release on parole of PTI leaders currently detained in Kot Lakhpat Jail. The letter said that without confidence-building measures, the process of negotiations could not be successful or sustainable.