Amid growing tensions between the Federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), political statements regarding the prospects of talks and the imposition of governor’s rule have intensified. Speaking on a private TV channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said it was strange to demand negotiations with a party that does not accept Pakistan’s Constitution and law. He said PTI’s long march could not go beyond Attock because the party lacked the capability to do so, adding that, contrary to its claims of gathering 2 million people, it could not even bring out that many participants.

Taking a jibe at PTI, he said the party was no longer a political party but had become a collection of four franchises. He alleged that the province had been ruined, claiming that the chief minister had no control over his own province and was dancing to the tune of absconder Murad Saeed. He said the province would fully implement any decision on governor’s rule taken by President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser Senator Rana Sanaullah said talks with PTI could resume, as contacts with the opposition existed before and were still continuing.

He said the military leadership, political leadership and federal government had unanimously decided to take the war against terrorism to its logical conclusion, and that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would have to play its full role in the national policy and operation. He added that if the opposition assured positive progress in the fight against terrorism, the government was ready to return to the negotiating table. In response, senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser confirmed that his party was ready for talks again, but said the ball was now in the government’s court. He said a formal draft of the party’s demands was already with the government and that PTI would respond positively if the government demonstrated genuine seriousness about negotiations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)