A second round of talks between Pakistan’s government and opposition ended without agreement early on Sunday 4 October, Dawn reported, as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepared for a planned march towards Islamabad. The meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, began after 4pm on Saturday at Parliament House and ended shortly before 3am on Sunday, according to the newspaper.
What Each Side Said
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas described the outcome as a “deadlock”, Dawn reported. According to the newspaper, the impasse was over a meeting between jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and his personal physicians. Dawn also reported that the PTI wants Mr Khan shifted from jail to a hospital for medical treatment, while the government has insisted that the opposition call off its protest march.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the talks failed because the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial government could not assure whether it would cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the future, Dawn reported. PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said the party’s long march was “intact” and would go ahead, according to the same report. Dawn added that the participants had not agreed on when a next round of talks would take place.
The March
Geo News reported that the first phase of the march would begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm on Sunday. It quoted Rana Sanaullah, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs, as saying the march would not be allowed to enter the limits of Islamabad and that any attempt to create disorder would be stopped using the force of law. Mr Sanaullah said the government had amended the draft agreement two or three times but that the provincial government was still unwilling to play its role, according to Geo. He also said the door remained open: if the provincial government was ready to play its role in the fight against terrorism, he said, “they can come today”.
The positions reported above are those of the parties concerned, and the sources reviewed do not independently verify either side’s account of why the talks failed.
Why It Matters
On the reports, the two sides are divided on a small number of specific points: access to Mr Khan and his physicians, and assurances on cooperation against terrorism. The government adviser says the door to talks remains open, but with no date set for a next round and the march starting, the next steps will depend on whether either side shifts on those points. Dawn and Geo both describe the situation as unresolved at the time of reporting.
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