Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday added government allies Ijazul Haq and Sardar Khalid Magsi to the negotiations committee holding talks with the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The prime minister expressed the hope that talks would be fruitful in the larger national interest. He said that national interest comes before everything else and national security must be kept in mind.
The government’s negotiations committee and PTI’s committee held the first round of talks today. The long-anticipated talks between the rival parties are aimed at defusing the prevailing political tensions.
Earlier this month, former premier and PTI founder Imran Khan announced his party’s committee for talks with “anyone”. On the recommendation of National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday formed a committee comprising ruling coalition members.
Today’s in-camera meeting was chaired by the NA speaker. According to Sadiq, the next meeting was proposed for January 2, where the opposition would present its “charter of demands”.