PM Shehbaz offers talks to Imran Khan in NA speech

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday invited the opposition political parties to join hands for a dialogue to discuss the ways to take the country ahead.

“Let us sit together to take the country ahead. Let us talk for the betterment of the country. There is no other way forward,” the prime minister said addressing the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while extending an olive branch to his political rival Imran Khan, offered him to sit and talk if he has any issues.

"If their (PTI) founder is facing troubles (in jail), then I reiterate: come, let's sit down and talk," said the premier.

The premier said that there was a time in this house when politicians would severely criticise one another, but they would also stand with their rivals during times of happiness and sorrow.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been at loggerheads for years, particularly after the February 8 elections, which Imran's party claims it had won.

Speaking about the 2018 elections, the prime minister said: "We joined the parliament despite the (rigged) polls. The sort of slogans that were raised during my first speech will always be remembered as a dark chapter in the history books."

He recalled that in the past too, he had invited the political parties to evolve a consensus on a Charter of Economy but that idea was ridiculed just for political point scoring.

The PM lamented that he had once again, while he was in the opposition, proposed Imran to sit on the talking table but such slogans were raised again. "So who is responsible for this bitterness. We don't even shake hands now," he expressed.

He also mentioned how Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah were treated during their time in jail.

The prime minister also recounted his ordeal of facing victimisation and that he was in jail when his mother passed away.

He said that despite being a cancer survivor and with a backbone issue, he used to be taken to courts on the ordinary prison van just to exacerbate the condition, but he never complained.

But he said, having faced all the victimization, he would never desire his political adversaries to face a similar situation.

"If someone is facing any injustice, then I believe that the scales of justice should be in favour of those (being victimized), there is no difference over it — whether it be any politician or anyone from any walk of life."