PTI ready to set aside differences for peace in country: Asad Qaiser

Former National Assembly speaker and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Asad Qaiser on Monday extended an olive branch to the government, saying the party is ready to set aside their differences for peace in the country.

In a statement issued on Monday, Qaiser urged the government to change its behavior to create a consensus on national issues.

"The country is going through serious crises, and the national unity is the need of the hour," he said, adding that the government would have to improve its behavior first.

He said that during PTI's tenure, the government evolved a better strategy and succeeded in restoring peace in the country. "Our strategy was in the best interest of the country,” he added.

To a question about the All Parties Conference (APC), the former NA speaker said that the government’s representatives made a telephone call to him on Sunday and extended a verbal invitation to the multi-party conference.

“It was not an appropriate way to invite anybody to the APC,” he said, adding, "National harmony in Pakistan is out of the question as the government shows unconstitutional behaviour."

Earlier, the PTI had decided against attending the all-parties huddle. On Friday, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar told media persons that Imran Khan will skip the meeting, saying "How can we sit with them while cases are being registered against us," he said while speaking to the media in Lahore.

“The Constitution is being violated by registering cases of treason against the opponents and all the government resources are devoted to arrests and detentions,” he added.

In a separate development, the government rescheduled the All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad for February 9. It was earlier scheduled for February 7 (Tuesday).

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a tweet that a joint strategy to combat terrorism and other challenges faced by the government will be discussed in the meeting.

The National Action Plan will also be reviewed, she tweeted. The minister added that the entire political and national leadership of the country has been invited to the moot.