Pakistan PM Rejects Imran Khan’s Talks Offer

Pakistani Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif on Tuesday said dialogue is key to evolving democracy, but he categori­cally stated that it could not be held with “anar­chists and arsonists” in the garb of politicians.

Sharif's statement came after former prime min­ister and Pakistan Teh­reek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Friday issued an appeal for immediate talks with state officials, reports The Nation. 

The Pakistani prime minister said said dialogue is deep­ly embedded in the po­litical process, which helps democracy ma­ture and evolve.

He said many polit­ical and constitution­al breakthroughs oc­curr when political leaders sit across the table to craft a consen­sus. “However, there is a major difference here, the anarchists and ar­sonists who wear the garb of politicians and attack the symbols of the state do not qualify for a dialogue.”

Sharif emphasized that such people should rather be held to account for their militant actions. He also termed it a prevalent practice even in developed de­mocracies. 

The Pakistan Dem­ocratic Movement also rejected the dialogue offer by PTI chief Imran Khan. Khan had earlier constituted a six-member committee for hold­ing talks with the government. Former PM Nawaz Sharif in a statement also rejected the talks offer of Khan. 

The members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Tuesday clearly rejected the probabil­ity of dialogue with the Paki­stan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after its chairman extended an offer of talks to the coalition govern­ment and claimed that his par­ty has lost a majority of its par­ty leadership after the members tendered resignations publicly in the news conferences. 

Talking to reporters outside parliament, Parliamenta­ry Secretary for Railways Kiran Imran Dar said dialogue is the ultimate solution to all cri­ses but it is only held with political parties and not vio­lent goons, as the PTI's conduct on May 9 damaged the prestige of the state institutions and the country. 

MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said the PTI as a politi­cal party is finished and noth­ing is left in its tank, so the co­alition government cannot hold talks with it. 

She alleged that the hatred, polarization and divide created by Imran Khan among the mass­es is unprecedented.

Aziz said Khan has spewed violence in children's brains and that he is a danger­ous man brainwashing the youth and the country should get rid of him. She regretted that Khan and his party leader­ship were not able to spend a few days in jail but he had detained his political rivals for longer dura­tions. 

MNA Qaiser Sheikh from PML-N said there is no pos­sibility of dialogue with the PTI as it is not possible to negoti­ate with those who attack the state and public installations. 

“The PTI has lost its say and has no one in the party. Dialogue should be held by the PTI with­in its party to keep its house in order,” he added. 

Sheikh said the Capitol Hill at­tackers were charged and im­prisoned for 18 years in the US but its administration is exhorting Pakistan to have dia­logue with the PTI.

He said the US should also hold dialogue with the Capitol Hill protestors first instead of put­ting them behind bars. 

MNA Syed Javaid Hasnain from PML-N said the president's rat­ification of the Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Or­ders Act, 2023, after which it passed into law, has given the right to appeal to the masses and that it is a landmark legislation. 

However, it is the Supreme Court judges who will decide the fate of the political leaders in­dicted or disqualified, Hasnain said.

Senator Bahramand Tungi of Pakistan Peoples Party Parlia­mentarians (PPPP) said the rat­ification of the Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Or­ders Act 2023 by the presi­dent helped in providing the right to appeal to the masses and he should have done it earlier. 

He said the leg­islation does not favour any individual but the poor, com­mon people. To another que­ry pertaining to a proposed ban on the PTI as a political party, he said the PPPP is not in fa­vour of banning any political party but those who attacked the state installations are not pardonable.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the provision of maximum relief to the masses and economic de­velopment will be among the Federal Government's priorities in the upcoming budget for the fis­cal year 2023-24.

Sharif, chairing a meeting to discuss the bud­get proposals for the industri­al sector, said the federal bud­get will also encompass the measures to enhance industrial growth as well as exports.

He said he will personal­ly make sure that the propos­als coming for the industrial sector are incorporated into the budget. The prime minis­ter instructed the authorities concerned to remove all un­necessary impediments in the increase of small-, medium- and large-scale industrial produc­tion. He told the meeting that the previous government delib­erately obstructed the invest­ment and industrial develop­ment in the country.

The previous government vi­olated the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to save its rule, making 220 million of Pakistan bear its brunt, he added.

He said being a resilient na­tion, Pakistanis are gradually coming out of the economic dif­ficulties.

Sharif said the Pakistani government, the whole na­tion, industrialists and the busi­ness community are working hard to improve the country's economic situation.

He said throughout the pre­vious year, miscreants in­flicted damage on the country through “long or short” march­es and sit-ins.