News Desk
ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser clarified that his visit to the Speaker was solely for offering condolences, not for negotiations. He emphasized that any dialogue will be held on the instructions of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and that a committee has been formed to engage in talks only when the government agrees.
Addressing the National Assembly session chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Mir Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Qaiser criticized the government’s lack of seriousness, stating, “You have issued repeated notices, but the government remains unresponsive. How can you proceed with the agenda when they aren’t even present?”
The Deputy Speaker responded, saying, “We wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday regarding the disrespect to this House and conveyed the message from members on both opposition and government benches. If no minister attends the session even after a ten-minute adjournment, we will suspend the session entirely.”
Qaiser further addressed reports of potential dialogue, clarifying, “The rumors about talks are incorrect. I only visited the Speaker for condolence purposes. A committee has been formed, and talks will happen when the government is ready.”
He reiterated that negotiations would be conducted as per Imran Khan’s directives and demanded answers about the firing incident on November 26, stressing that the Constitution allows peaceful protests. He condemned restrictions on protests in Islamabad as unconstitutional and called for the release of all PTI detainees, including the party chairman.
Qaiser also urged the formation of a judicial commission comprising senior Supreme Court judges to investigate the incidents of November 26 and May 9. He claimed PTI members had been coerced into resigning and questioned why the constitutional freedoms granted to citizens were being undermined by laws. “Show us one video where our people damaged any property,” he challenged.
