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PTI seeks probe into May 9, Nov 26 events in written demands to govt

News Desk
Friday, Jan 17, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PIT) finally presented its written demands to the government on Thursday seeking judicial probe into the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024 events, as well as the release of “political prisoners”.

The party has demanded that the government form two commissions —which will comprise the Chief Justice of Pakistan or three serving judges of the Supreme Court, mutually nominated by the PTI and the government within seven days.

PTI’s ‘Charter of Demands’ also mentions if the government fails to constitute two separate commissions on the violent events, the party will not continue the negotiations, Geo News reported.

The third round of talks between the Imran Khan-founded party and the government took place at the Parliament House. The meeting was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, party’s Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza represented the PTI.

Whereas, the government’s team included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Farooq Sattar and Balochistan Awami Party lawmaker Khalid Magsi.

In the three-page document, the PTI mentioned that the party and its allies have travelled through “blood and gore” and their leader Khan and thousands of our supporters have faced “unjustified imprisonment”.

The party’s written demands bear the signature of all six members of the PTI’s negotiation committee. The document mentioned that the party entered into negotiations with the “government installed in Islamabad” in order to take the fight for the people’s rights onwards.

“The Charter of Demands is presented as a prerequisite to wider negotiations with respect to the restoration of the Constitution, the rule of law and respect for the people’s mandate, free and fair elections.”

In the previous two rounds, with the first taking place on December 27, 2024 followed by a second session on January 2, 2025, the party did not present its demands as they awaited Khan’s nod.

However, after much ado, the PTI negotiators were allowed to meet the PTI founder — behind bars at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail — who gave them comprehensive instructions, based on which their demands were finalised.

NA Speaker Sadiq, speaking to the media following the meeting of the negotiation committees, said the opposition presented its written demands and read them out during the session.

He added that the PTI requested another meeting between their leader and the committee. The Speaker also noted that the negotiations are progressing in a positive direction.

Siddiqui, the spokesperson for the government committee, said the government committee would provide a written response to PTI’s demands within seven days.

According to him, PTI leader Ayub presented the list of written demands to the Speaker and also read them aloud during the meeting. Siddiqui further revealed that the PTI has demanded a meeting with their leader in Adiala Jail. He added that the next date for the negotiation committees’ session would be announced by the NA speaker. Both committees expressed their confidence in the Speaker, Siddiqui noted.

The party has demanded that the government form two commissions —which will comprise the Chief Justice of Pakistan or three serving judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, mutually nominated by the PTI and the government within seven days.

“The conduct of the proceedings of the two Commissions must be open to the general public as well as the media,” the party mentioned in the document. The PTI has called upon the federal government, as well as the governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan to support, in accordance with the law, the grant of bail or orders suspending the conviction and sentence of all political prisoners.

The party said it would identify the political prisoners, who were arrested following the events of May 9 and November 26 or any other political event elsewhere. It also sought support for those who have been convicted and whose appeals or revisions are presently pending before a court of law.

Reacting to PTI’s demand for judicial probe into the May 9 and November 26 events, Prime Minister’s aide on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said both incidents have already been investigated.

Addressing a news conference flanked by the government’s negotiation committee head Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the PM’s aide said, however, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee comprising all ruling party members to review the opposition party’s demands. The committee will respond to the PTI on its demands, he added.