ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari — whose party is a crucial ally in the federal government — Monday suggested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hold talks with the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The development comes as the political temperature in the country is on the rise and the government has locked horns with the Supreme Court, which will likely intensify the situation in the days to come.
In such a situation, PPP’s core committee last week resolved to approach all parties in the coalition government to discuss the issue of dialogue among the political parties, including the PTI.
PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry applauded the PPP’s move to hold dialogue with the political parties as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) rejected the idea.
“PPP refused to become part of a campaign against the judiciary. Secondly, PPP said that political parties don’t end the way of dialogue,” Fawad said last week during a press conference. In his speech during the National Constitutional Convention in the National Assembly, Zardari — in the presence of PM Shehbaz — said the prime minister has the authority for holding dialogues with the opposition.
“But, I will request Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks with the opposition and set no conditions before they begin talks. I will also ask the opposition to call on Shehbaz for talks as he is the prime minister.”
“We cannot afford any odd situation now. The PTI is now approaching us for dialogue, but its chief wants such decisions which are in his favour,” the ex-president said.
He claimed that the PTI was paying Rs 30,000 each to its workers and said he knew about its sources of funding.
The PTI, he said, had hired political workers, social media activists and journalists to continue its propaganda against the country and institutions. –Agencies
