- PM reviews overall law and order situation in the country
- No talks with govt until PM resigns: Fazlur Rehman
ISLAMABAD, October 16: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in the centre has decided to constitute a committee to hold talks with Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, sources within the PTI said Wednesday.
The decision was made at a meeting of PTI’s core committee, which pondered over the JUI-F Azadi March, according to sources.
Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over the meeting.
The meeting also reviewed overall law and order situation in the country. The meeting discussed internal security situation of the country and measures for the protection of lives and properties of the people.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed about security arrangements for foreign heads of states visiting Pakistan in coming days.
The participants decided that Defence Minister Pervez Khattak would head the committee, the sources informed. The names of other members of the government’s team would be announced soon.
The government has decided to consider valid demands of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), said sources.
The core committee also decided in favour of local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad on non-party basis, the sources added.
Opposing the politics of agitation, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government was fighting Kashmir case at international forums and striving hard to address the economic issues.
Government sources said that the prime minister was of the view that the JUI-F was being used by other opposition parties to serve their own ends and that the government believed that JUI-F chief could still be reasoned with.
The JUI-F’s march will enter Islamabad on October 31, Fazl announced on October 9. It will begin on October 27 as announced earlier. All the rallies would enter Islamabad together via the GT Road, the JUI-F chief had told reporters in Islamabad.
The march is aimed at toppling Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.
The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Brigadier retired Ijaz Ahmed Shah, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, and other senior officers.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, had revealed that the government was in talks with the leadership of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl where JUI-F chief sought honourable way out.
On the other hand, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has ruled out any possibilities of negotiations with the federal government.
Fazl said that negotiations with the government could only be held after the prime minister resigns.-NNI
