- Qureshi says negotiation’s success cannot be measured on a scale, but can say that it is progressing
- Dar says jirga’s work done after conflicting parties have been brought to the table
- Haq boasts of political jirga’s achievement for resolution of political crisis, says 80 percent work done
As the negotiation teams of the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met Sunday in pursuit of a truce between the protesters and the government, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi told journalists that the talks were heading towards a meaningful conclusion, however there was no yardstick to measure the success achieved.
Flanked by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen, Qureshi said that he had a concern for the economy and did not want it to plummet. He stressed the importance of negotiations for the resolution of the political crisis, saying the around five demands made by PTI had been accepted, however the details had yet to be finalised.
“Issues pertaining to the composition of judicial commission and the process by which election rigging will be probed have to be decided yet. However, the process is progressing which is a positive sign,” Qureshi added.
Addressing journalists, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that the work of the political jirga was to bring both the parties on the table and now when the parties were holding negotiations, the jirga’s work was over.
The talks were progressing rapidly and the teams will come up with a solution of the crisis, Dar said, adding that the revival of the economy was of utmost importance, for which the political impasse had to be resolved.
After the eleventh round of talks yesterday, the negotiators are scheduled to meet today at 2:30pm.
HAQ SAYS 80PC WORK DONE:
Earlier Sunday, while addressing Gaza Rally organised by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Quetta, JI chief Sirajul Haq said that problems pertaining to the political deadlock in the country have been resolved up to 80 per cent owing to efforts of the political jirga and claimed that they had a “formula” which would enable both the government and anti-government protesters in Islamabad to come out of the crisis.
The JI chief said that the participants of dharna had put on shrouds and started digging their graves, but leaders of all political parties constituted political jirga which had brought the protesters on the negotiation table.
Haq said that it was a matter of pleasure that after four-day work of political jirga, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the government had reached an agreement over 80 per cent of the demands.
“We have a formula through which three parties can escape failure and bad name,” Haq said, adding that they had been supportive of electoral reforms, independence of judiciary and other protesters’ demands.
“There has been selections and not election. People have made politics their business This is the reason jagirdars and waderas have been occupying assemblies for decades. There is no place for commoners there.”
Haq said rulers should show flexibility because if the participants of dharnas failed they would be disappointed in the country’s future.