Pakistan government and opposition to hold talks on October 2 — Dawn
In Pakistan, representatives of the government and the opposition are to hold talks on Friday, October 2, at the office of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. The meeting is scheduled for 12:00 local time. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that he had received and accepted the government's invitation for talks in view of decisions made at an opposition meeting.
As Dawn reports, opposition politicians had earlier discussed the overall political situation, PTI's planned protest march, and constitutional and parliamentary issues. The meeting was attended, among others, by Gohar, Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, National Assembly opposition leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser.
Representatives of the opposition alliance
After the meeting, Achakzai said that he would not take part in the meeting at the speaker's office. His name was also not on the list of possible opposition representatives. Akhundzada Yousafzai, spokesperson for the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) alliance, said that he, Abbas, and former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar would represent the alliance at the talks.
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TTAP, which is led by Achakzai and includes PTI, announced its intention to join the protest march on October 4. PTI demands the release of its founder, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in custody. PTI representatives insist that the rally will be peaceful and say they are ready for talks without preconditions.
Dispute over the protest
Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that the federal government and PTI are holding informal consultations regarding the march. He warned that the authorities are ready to prevent rally participants from entering Islamabad if it is not postponed.
Sanaullah also said that the federal authorities are discussing with coalition parties the possibility of imposing governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where PTI is in power. According to him, such a decision requires parliamentary approval. Gohar, for his part, warned the government against imposing a state of emergency or governor's rule in the province.
