ISLAMABAD: Federal government on Sunday indicated holding general elections across the country after having the upcoming federal budget passed from National Assembly - whereas Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced to have devised a strategy in case political dialogue with the government over holding general polls in the country failed.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was quoted by a section of electronic media as saying on Sunday that the federal government was of the opinion to hold general elections in the country after the passage of the federal budget.
He said the one-point agenda of the government’s political dialogue with the PTI is to hold general elections, simultaneously, across the country.
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But, in the same vein, the minister said that talks with PTI were also being held over allowing the NA to complete its term.
On the other hand, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that his party devised a strategy if the political dialogue with the government failed.
As part of this strategy, public rallies are being taken out in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar today (Monday) that would be culminated into a “historic long march” (in case of dialogue’s failure) Chaudhry tweeted.
“PTI wants the dialogue to succeed but a strategy has been devised if the talks fail. It’s not possible that PTI sits silently when the constitution is rubbished as a piece of trash and people are treated like insects. Public needs to be ready for a grand movement in case of the failure of the dialogue,” his tweeted read.
These remarks come at a time when the PTI alleges that the recent arrests of its workers and late-night raid at the residence of party President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore aim at sabotaging the political dialogue.
Both the federal government and Punjab caretaker government have distanced themselves from the raid at Elahi’s residence, insisting they have no hand in it. The former ruling party says it has entered into the political dialogue with government on the order of Supreme Court.
On Friday, the ice of hostility somewhat melted between the federal government and PTI after both the sides showed progress in the second round of political dialogue over holding general polls in the country— and agreed to hold a third round this Tuesday (tomorrow).
Corresponding to their maiden meeting a day earlier, senior leaders from the two sides met again at the Parliament House, Friday, in a bid to forge consensus over holding general elections in the country.
Finance Minister and Leader of the House in Senate Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar, Law Minister Azam Tarar, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Yousaf Raza Gillani and Kishwar Zehra represented the government’s side.
The PTI was represented by the three-member committee, comprising of party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Barrister Ali Zafar and Fawad Chaudhry.
Reports have been doing rounds that PTI has proposed that general elections be held across the country in July, after Eidul Azha, whereas the government has suggested holding these polls in September.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023