Govt scrambles to bring Qadri, Khan on talks table

• As railways minister woos PAT chief into beginning talks, Imran Khan shows little signs of backing down on demand for PM’s resignation
• Qadri says talks can move forward after ModelTown case reservations are addressed
• PTI chief warns of launching country-wide protest movement if demands not met

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri Sunday expressed his willingness to start “meaningful” negotiations with the government while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan remains adamant on his demand of the prime minister’s resignation as a prerequisite of any result-oriented dialogue, as the political crisis entered its 10th day on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique made an unannounced visit to the sit-in staged by PAT supporters and met Qadri for over an hour in his container.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Rafique said that he had made an appeal on behalf of the government to Qadri to begin negotiations for a peaceful resolution of the impasse.

He said that Qadri had accepted the government’s request and the PML-N would now form a committee to resume the talks process once again.

However, the minister made it clear that while the government would give serious consideration to all “constitutional demands” of PAT, resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would not be something that the government is willing to concede.

Speaking after Rafique, PAT President Raheeq Abbasi said though the party has agreed to hold “meaningful” talks with the government, it will not budge from its stated position.

REVENGE FOR MODEL TOWN MARTYRS TOPS PAT’S AGENDA:

Addressing his supporters later in the evening, Qadri said that his first demand was to seek revenge for the martyrs of ModelTown tragedy.

He said he had told Rafique that his 10-point agenda will only be discussed after persons responsible for the ModelTown killings were brought to justice.

In a related development, the Chaudhrys of Gujrat met Qadri and briefed him about their meeting with PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari the other day. Qadri shared details of his meeting with Saad Rafique with his allies.

Political observers believe that a breakthrough with PAT might just be around the corner as the government is considering ways of addressing the concerns of Qadri’s supporters over the ModelTown incident.

IMRAN KHAN VOWS TO EXPAND PROTEST:

In the meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party will give a call for a wheel-jam strike across the country if the PM does not accept his demand for resignation.

Addressing the participants of ‘Azadi March’ in Red Zone on Sunday, Khan said that PTI ‘tigers’ could remove the containers in minutes on his orders but they had been asked to avoid any such step.

Khan reiterated his allegations of vote rigging in 2013 general elections and that Sharif was “afraid to commence investigation in four constituencies”.

Speaking to his charged supporters, Khan lamented the fact that even though former president Asif Ali Zardari, during a telephonic conversation held with the PTI chief when he was bed-ridden due to an injury last year, had termed May 2013 General Elections as “returning officers’ elections”, he accepted Sharif as the legitimate prime minister.

Khan urged all Pakistanis to withdraw their money from the government’s tax network, starting today (Monday).

The PTI chief also announced that two politicians will be joining the party soon.

Moreover, Khan also clarified his remarks regarding marriage in his last speech and stated that he could not even think of getting married “till Naya Pakistan comes into existence”.

A day earlier, Khan had announced that one of the reasons why he is desperately pursuing ‘Naya Pakistan’ is that he wants to get married.

GOOD NEWS IS COMING IN A DAY OR TWO:

Commenting on Khan’s demands and the prevailing impasse, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsal Iqbal said Sunday that the nation would get good news in a day or two.

The PML-N leader said the government had accepted two core demands of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He said that a committee was already working for electoral reforms, however, the government had already rejected the demand for resignation of the premier as PTI leaders were seeking resignation of Sharif on “personal grounds”. He reiterated that demand for PM’s resignation was in contravention of the Constitution.

He said the judicial commission will probe into allegations of rigging and if these accusations were proven, the government will not only step down but also fresh elections will be announced.