Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a formal strategy for talks with the opposition, aiming to ease political tensions and bring stability to the country.
On the prime minister’s instructions, the federal government has formulated a clear plan to initiate negotiations with the opposition. The objective, according to sources, is to create political stability through parliamentary engagement.
As part of the plan, the prime minister has given National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq the green signal to move forward with dialogue.
Talks limited to elected PTI representatives
Government sources say negotiations will be held only with elected representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The federal government has clearly decided not to hold talks with any unelected representatives.
A government delegation is also ready to engage in negotiations whenever requested by the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Speaker invites PTI amid continued silence
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has formally invited PTI lawmakers to come to his chamber to initiate the dialogue process. He has also indicated that, with opposition consent, a meeting of the parliamentary committee could be convened.
However, despite the Speaker’s offer, no opposition leader has yet formally contacted the speaker’s office, according to sources.
Silence continues within opposition ranks as internal disagreements persist. Sources say the opposition is adamant about appointing Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the leader of the opposition.
Some opposition figures, described by sources as hardliners, are reportedly unwilling to proceed with talks before the formal appointment of the opposition leader.
Previous engagement
According to sources, the last meeting between PTI leaders and the speaker of the National Assembly focused solely on the demand to nominate Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader.
No progress beyond that discussion has been reported so far, leaving the broader negotiation process in limbo.
Political stability remains priority
Despite the lack of response from the opposition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remains keen to move the process forward. Government sources stress that dialogue through parliament is seen as essential to addressing political uncertainty and ensuring smoother governance.
Whether talks materialize now depends largely on the opposition’s willingness to engage under the proposed framework.
