PM renews call for talks
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the government was ready for "meaningful" parleys with the opposition and again invited them for talks, reiterating a stance he has voiced repeatedly since the 2024 elections. Speaking at a televised federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, the premier said the government had always expressed its willingness to engage with the opposition.
"I once again invite the opposition for talks from this forum […] to support Pakistan's economic progress and to strengthen democracy," he said, adding, "But it takes two to tango. Now it's on them how soon they agree for constructive dialogue."
The invitation comes days after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the opposition during a Senate session that the government's offer for dialogue remained on the table. "The solution lies in seriousness," Chaudhry said, calling on the opposition to agree on a time and venue for negotiations.
Senate exchanges
Chaudhry's remarks in the Senate, reported by The Nation (Pakistan), came in response to a point of order raised by Senator Mohsin Aziz. The minister said that dialogue within Parliament remained the only viable way to resolve political differences and move the democratic system forward. He recalled that during this year's budget session, the prime minister had personally approached the Leader of the Opposition and proposed that the two sides sit together and discuss their differences.
Following the prime minister's initiative, he said, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan, the government's parliamentary leadership, and he himself had visited the opposition leader's chamber to take the process forward. The minister said discussions were held over identifying a mutually acceptable venue where the prime minister, his team, and representatives of the opposition could meet. He said the government had offered a venue in Parliament and also conveyed to the opposition that it could suggest any place of its choice within Parliament House.
Chaudhry said there was no pre-condition or pre-determined agenda for the proposed talks. He urged the opposition to develop consensus within its own ranks, nominate its representatives, and decide a time and venue so that the dialogue could proceed.
Separately, Dawn reported that on the same day, Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Chaudhry met opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas in the National Assembly opposition leader's chamber. According to a spokesperson for the opposition alliance, the two sides discussed the appointment of the chief election commissioner, the political situation, and mutual matters, and agreed to continue meetings. Chaudhry also said that Achakzai had written a letter to the prime minister seeking a "constitutional consultative meeting," and he expected a response within the next two days.
Protests and the health debate
The two newspapers have framed the ongoing political friction somewhat differently. Dawn's coverage traces the deadlock to the 2024 elections, after which the PTI demanded a judicial commission to probe the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024 protests. The 2023 protests were held across the country after PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested, and the 2024 demonstration in Islamabad was held to demand his release; both turned violent. Dawn notes that the sticking points between the two sides have widened, including Imran Khan's health.
The Nation's report focuses more on the Senate session and the heated debate over Khan's health. According to that account, jail authorities submitted a report to the Supreme Court containing recommendations from a medical board of senior consultants who examined Khan on August 10. The board recommended that Khan be provided reading material, including books and newspapers, and that his human interaction with immediate family members be more frequent than currently allowed to help control his anxiety and hypertension.
Senate opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas labelled the health report as "worrisome" and demanded Khan's immediate transfer to hospital. "His only crime is that he is not corrupt," Abbas said, terming the PTI chief's health a serious matter. He noted that the report by the superintendent of Adiala Jail highlighted serious concerns about Khan's health, and that doctors had stated the ex-premier could not be provided required treatment at the jail. Abbas demanded medical treatment for Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, and proposed that a parliamentary delegation be allowed to visit the jail to assess his condition.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar argued that all cases against Khan were pending before the courts, while Rana Sanaullah rejected opposition concerns, saying custody of the PTI founder was the responsibility of jail authorities and the judiciary. Sanaullah added that Khan had expressed satisfaction with his treatment in a report submitted to the Supreme Court. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said jail authorities had arranged as many as 84 meetings between Khan and his wife, and dismissed claims about his deteriorating health as false. "A sympathy card is being played," he said, taking a jibe at the opposition that Khan's sons, resident in London, had valid NICOPs but were reluctant to visit their father.
The Senate debate also saw PML-N Senator Nasir Mehmood criticise the PTI, and Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi pointed out that the House lacked a quorum. The Senate was adjourned till Tuesday due to the lack of quorum.
Chaudhry, speaking on the protests, acknowledged the opposition's constitutional right to peaceful protest but said that the exercise of that right should not infringe upon the rights of other citizens. Previous protests in the federal capital had created difficulties for residents and disrupted normal life, he said.