The government’s negotiation committee and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held their third round of talks, but the opposition party hinted at new protests if the discussions failed to produce results.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq chaired the meeting, where PTI submitted its written charter of demands.
“We are currently protesting peacefully, but we will escalate if the issue remains unresolved,” warned Opposition leader Omar Ayub.
“Our first demand is the release of political prisoners in accordance with the law,” he added.
Dismissing rumors of a deal following the postponement of the Toshakhana reference verdict, Ayub clarified, “There is no deal or relief; we only want the release of PTI workers arrested during protests on November 26 and May 9.”
He also urged the government to end the prolonged detention of PTI founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Ayub further demanded the formation of an inquiry commission, stating that the matter could not be resolved through executive orders alone.
However, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs said releasing political prisoners would take time, as the government must first consult its coalition partners before responding to PTI’s demands.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, spokesperson for the government committee, assured that they would provide a written response to PTI’s demands.