Polls Impasse: Govt Approaches Senate Chairman To Constitute Panel For Dialogue With PTI

Polls Impasse: Govt Approaches Senate Chairman To Constitute Panel For Dialogue With PTI
In accordance with the Supreme Court's directive, the ruling coalition has suggested that a 10-member parliamentary committee be formed, with equal participation from both sides, to undertake discussions about holding elections across the country on the same day.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has established a three-person committee to negotiate election-related issues with the ruling coalition.

Following the government's idea of a parliamentary committee to consider the terms of discussions as a Supreme Court deadline for political parties to find an agreement on an election date, the rigid political situation begins to loosen.

According to the sources, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was notified about this by Federal Ministers of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Khawaja Saad Rafique.

The sources went on to say that the government had proposed that a parliamentary committee include five representatives from both the government and the opposition, as well as facilities for the committee to hold meetings in Parliament.

In the meantime, Sanjrani informed the opposition of the government's ideas in a letter.

The Senate chairman claimed in a letter to PTI leader Shehzad Waseem that the ruling coalition had asked him to facilitate a "political dialogue to address the ongoing political and economic crisis, including the holding of general elections."

He wrote: "The constitutional duty of maintaining the national and political harmony vis-à-vis the national and public interest is conferred upon the Senate of Pakistan; the House of Federation is a stabilizing force of the federation.

Sanjrani stated that a 10-member special committee for holding political discussions is being formed, consisting of four members each from the Treasury and Opposition benches, and would be jointly convened by the Leader of the House in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

He further added that his office and the Senate would be on hand to help with the discussions. Then he asked Waseem to furnish the names of four members of the opposition benches who would join the committee in two days on behalf of the PTI.

According to reports, Sanjrani has already spoken with PTI officials Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Waseem.

According to media reports, former prime minister Imran Khan had formed a panel of three people to speak with the government about elections and other pertinent issues.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, and Senator Barrister Ali Zafar make up the panel.