Key Takeaways
- Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas demands formation of a dialogue committee with PTI.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged to participate in the process.
- Opposition leaders and parties are called to play a role in de-escalating tensions.
Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, has called for the formation of a committee to hold dialogue with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, aimed at de-escalating tensions between the political party and the government.
Abbas stated, 'Even the big battles are settled on the dialogue table,' emphasizing the importance of negotiation in resolving conflicts.
He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to form a team for dialogue, adding, 'When political figures sit together, they find a solution.'
The senator also called on other political leaders, including Maulana Fazalur Rehman, the leaderships of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), to participate in the dialogue process.
Abbas admitted that his recent meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi regarding the government’s dialogue with the PTI proved inconclusive, but stressed that the dialogue process needs to continue.
He said, 'The previous dialogue did not yield any immediate conclusive result. The dialogue process should be given more time. Only if no result emerges from the dialogue, can it be said that we have failed.'
Abbas further emphasized the need for empowered individuals to step forward, stating, 'Teams should be formed from both sides for negotiations, and empowered individuals should step forward who have the authority to pull the country out of this crisis.'
In response to questions regarding the 'voluntary' arrests of PTI lawmakers ahead of the 27 September long march, Abbas questioned, 'Why don’t you ask that the lawmakers are being illegally arrested? Why don’t you raise this question; that it is absolutely against the constitution and the law to arrest the people peacefully sitting in the Parliament Lodges?'
The PTI announced the long march in support of incarcerated party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan last month. On 5 August, the PTI held public rallies across the country to mark three years of Khan’s imprisonment.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi also addressed a related public gathering in Peshawar, announcing the long march against what he said were frivolous cases pursued against the ex-PM.
Even the big battles are settled on the dialogue table.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
The previous dialogue did not yield any immediate conclusive result. The dialogue process should be given more time.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Why don’t you ask that the lawmakers are being illegally arrested? Why don’t you raise this question; that it is absolutely against the constitution and the law to arrest the people peacefully sitting in the Parliament Lodges?
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
