After third round of talks, PTI & govt still poles apart
January 17, 2025
• PTI formally lays demands before govt; seeks judicial commissions, acquittal of ‘political prisoners’
• Govt team will ‘take its time’ to review demands; rules out relief for those already being tried in court
• Tarar says no to concessions in garb of talks
ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Thursday formally asked the government to release its political prisoners and constitute separate judicial commissions to probe the crackdown in the wake of the events of May 9, 2023, while the government ruled out any extraordinary relief in the garb of negotiations, while agreeing to respond to the demands.
In a three-page document signed by committee members, the PTI sought the “support” of the federal and provincial governments in bail, sentence suspensions, and acquittals of “political prisoners” identified by the party. Besides its demand for the formation of commissions, the opposition party also suggested terms of reference (ToR).
According to the PTI, the commission should comprise the chief justice of Pakistan, or three serving Supreme Court judges, mutually nominated by the PTI and the government within seven days.
Though it agreed to respond in seven working days, the government appeared uncertain about the formation of a commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 2017, saying that cases involving opposition leaders and party workers were already in court.
“The conduct of the proceedings of the two commissions must be open to the general public as well as the media,” it said, calling the formation of these commissions “a necessary indication of seriousness of intent”.
“We shall not be able to continue with the negotiations if the two commissions sought by us are not agreed to in principle and constituted forthwith,” PTI’s letter added.
According to the PTI, the commissions needed to conduct an in-depth inquiry into various aspects, including the “legality of the events that led” to Imran’s arrest on May 9, 2023, and the subsequent violence.
It also sought CCTV footage of the attacks on sensitive installations and if it was “not available, the causes of this lack of availability” should be investigated. It also sought a review of “instances of media censorship and restrictions on reporting related to the incident, including harassment of journalists”.
Bringing recurring internet disruptions into the discussion, the PTI demanded that the “vires and legality of government’s imposition of internet shutdowns and its impact before, during and after the unrest” be examined, with responsibility fixed for it.
It also sought a probe into the November 26 crackdown in which live ammunition was allegedly used against PTI supporters. It also asked for the “number of the martyrs and the injured and of the persons who went missing after 24 to 27 November, 2024” as well as hospital records.
Besides the commissions, the PTI also called upon the federal government, as well as the governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, to “support, in accordance with the law, the grant of bails or orders suspending the conviction and sentence of all political prisoners” arrested pursuant to “one or more FIRs registered with respect to any event on May 9, 2023 or any event on November 24 to 27, 2024 or any other political event anywhere”.
It stated that the prisoners, to be identified by the party, would include those “convicted and whose appeals or revisions are presently pending before a court of law”.
‘No relief for those on trial’
But Rana Sanaullah, the PM’s aide on political affairs, maintained that there was no room in the inquiry commission act to hold a probe into cases that are already being tried in the courts. “However, it is not the final decision. We will come up with our response after consultation with ruling allies,” he said.
Addressing a news conference flanked by Senator Irfan Siddiqui — the spokesperson for the government’s negotiating team — he claimed that the PTI had backtracked from its previous demand of a probe into alleged election rigging.
He said PTI had presented a second demand claiming that all cases against their workers and supporters were political in nature, but failed to give the name of any worker or an FIR number. He asked why PTI had not furnished the list of its “arrested, missing and deceased workers”.
Senator Siddiqui termed PTI’s demands “a charge sheet” against the government. “The PTI has taken 42 days to present its demands and the government will definitely take some time to respond, but before Jan 31.”
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a separate press conference, said that those accused in corruption cases would have to face trials, adding that nobody would get any concession in the name of negotiations.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said he believed the government would form judicial commissions on the PTI’s demand, warning that talks would not move forward otherwise.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said the talks were heading in the “right direction” and shared his two demands for the talks committee.
He said, “I requested them that the entire country should also be united on a charter of economy and [the issue of] terrorism, and that some committees should also be formed on these,” he added. The NA speaker said the opposition had requested another meeting with the incarcerated PTI founder, and the government had assuring them they would try to arrange one.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025
