The Pakistani government has dismissed claims of engaging in talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar clarified in a recent interview that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not held any discussions with PTI’s Asad Qaiser.
Tarar explained that while members of both sides were present during condolences at the National Assembly Speaker’s residence following Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s death, these interactions were informal and did not signify official negotiations.
Earlier, reports surfaced suggesting renewed communication between the government and PTI, alleging a meeting at the Speaker’s House involving PTI representatives such as Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Federal Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazir Tarar.
Aaj news reported the possibility of parliament being used as a venue for talks, with both the government and PTI reportedly agreeing to the idea.
They also claimed that PTI had relaxed its preconditions, though it still demanded a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26.
The government’s outright denial of these claims contrasts sharply with earlier reports, leaving the status of any potential dialogue uncertain.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) renewed its demand for an investigation into the alleged deaths of its supporters during last month’s Islamabad protest, with MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urging the government to address the issue transparently and responsibly.
This call follows a statement by Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, who accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of authorizing violence against demonstrators, alleging that NATO-supplied weapons intended for counterterrorism were used against unarmed citizens. Ayub demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
In response, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the allegations as baseless and criticized the opposition for exploiting regional identities to bolster its claims.
