Pakistan(National Times)- Reacting to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) January 31 deadline for the result-oriented talks, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Thursday that the federal government “does not take it seriously”, terming it a “face-saving” attempt. Earlier today, the PTI negotiation committee set the deadline for the government after meeting its party founder at Adiala Jail, reiterating the demands of judicial probe into May 9 riots and November 26 late-night crackdown and release of “political prisoners”. “PTI founder [Imran Khan] is ready to forgive everyone for all the ill-treatment he has suffered for the sake of Pakistan,” Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza said while speaking to journalists after the meeting. Raza, who is also part of the PTI’s dialogue team, also noted that the first phase of civil disobedience movement, ‘boycott of remittances’, would remain in place despite talks with the government. Tarar, speaking on Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, claimed that the Imran Khan-founded party was issuing ultimatum to the government for “face-saving” as it suffered back-to-back “political defeats”.     Responding to a question, he claimed that the PTI’s call to the overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances would meet the same fate as its “final call” protest in Islamabad last month. He went on to say that such calls would not make any difference as the former ruling party faced back-to-back failures on several occasions including the 26th Constitutional Amendment and “do-or-die” protest. The jailed former prime minister had last month called on his supporters to launch the anti-government movement by withholding remittances in the first phase. To another question, the federal minister categorically rejected that the incarcerated PTI founder had been offered any deal wherein he would be placed under house arrest or move to a prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his party is in power.    His statements came at a time when the government and the opposition began much-anticipated negotiation process earlier this week at the Parliament House, following months of heightened political tensions.

Irfan Siddiqui appointed govt committee’s spox

In another development today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Senator Irfan Siddiqui as the spokesperson for the government’s negotiation committee. The committee is tasked with leading crucial talks with the major opposition party to address political and national issues. Siddiqui, an integral part of the negotiation committee, also serves as the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. The inaugural meeting, from the government’s side, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar. Whereas, the PTI was represented by former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, SIC Chief Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. The two sides are set to hold the second session on January 2, when the PTI will present its demands before the government panel in written.