- Over 40 lawmakers attend parliamentary party meeting.
- Members favour dialogue to resolve political issues.
- Shaukat Yousafzai urges Centre to ease tensions.
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa parliamentary party has backed negotiations with the federal government, seeking dialogue to pave the way for the withdrawal of governor’s rule and the state of emergency in the province, sources told Geo News on Friday.
The party’s provincial parliamentary meeting, held online, was attended by more than 40 lawmakers, including Ali Amin Gandapur, while PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Noor-ul-Haq Qadri also participated, according to sources.
Members were of the view that talks should be held with the federal government to resolve issues including governor’s rule and the emergency, and that dialogue should pave the way for the withdrawal of the two measures.
The parliamentary party maintained that PTI’s mandate would be restored following the end of governor’s rule and the emergency.
According to sources, some members also proposed that Gandapur be included in the consultation process for negotiations with the federal government.
They argued that the participation of a member of the parliamentary party in the process would allow matters to be taken forward through mutual consultation.
Barrister Gohar told the meeting that a majority of PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly also favoured talks with the federal government.
Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, meanwhile, stressed the need for patience and perseverance during difficult circumstances and also backed dialogue as the way forward.
‘Federal govt should ease tensions’
PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai also threw his weight behind negotiations, calling on the federal government to ease tensions and withdraw governor’s rule and the emergency.
“We are in favour of negotiations. The federal government should reduce tensions and remove governor’s rule and the emergency,” Yousafzai said.
Referring to the proposal to include Gandapur in the process, Yousafzai said there should be no objection if he was the parliamentary party’s choice for the negotiations.
He described Gandapur as an old and loyal companion of PTI founder Imran Khan.
Members of the parliamentary party also backed the decision not to call workers out for protests following the imposition of governor’s rule and the emergency, according to sources.
They were of the view that had workers taken to the streets, the party could have faced incidents similar to those of May 9.
Yousafzai also distanced PTI from any remarks made against state institutions, saying that if anyone had made such statements, the party had nothing to do with them.
The meeting, however, did not specifically discuss the proposed electoral reforms committee or the PPP’s offer to the opposition to join it, as the matter was being dealt with at the federal parliamentary level.
