ISLAMABAD: Amid ongoing political tensions, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday clarified that he had not invited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for negotiations, while reiterating that dialogue remains the only way to resolve political disputes.
Speaking to parliamentary reporters at Parliament House, Sadiq said he had not asked PTI to engage in talks, adding that if Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had discussed negotiations with the party, he was unaware of it.
The Speaker said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had repeatedly invited PTI for dialogue from the floor of Parliament. “I had grown tired of repeatedly inviting PTI for negotiations, so I stopped raising the matter,” he said.
Referring to his recent meeting with PTI leader Aamir Dogar, Sadiq said the discussion was limited to the schedule of the upcoming National Assembly session and arrangements for the Independence Day ceremony. He said he had only requested the names of PTI lawmakers for the event and that no discussions on political negotiations took place.
Sadiq said PTI had nominated the Leader of the Opposition to engage in talks, but it appeared that even the opposition leader had not been permitted to negotiate. “The reality is that PTI does not want negotiations,” he said.
The Speaker said that he had made multiple efforts in the past to facilitate dialogue between the government and opposition and had now stopped extending invitations for talks. “I have become tired of extending invitations for negotiations,” he said.
Stressing the importance of dialogue, the Speaker said every political issue could be resolved through mutual consultation rather than media statements.
Responding to a question, he said that if the opposition leader did not wish to meet in the Speaker’s chamber, they could instead meet in a committee room. “If there is a need for talks, I will vacate the chamber, but the opposition leader does not want to hold talks,” he remarked.
The Speaker also said that the opposition lawmakers whose suspensions had led to the formation of a parliamentary committee had not submitted any request for reinstatement.
Sadiq’s remarks came a day after the federal government renewed its invitation to PTI for political dialogue during a meeting attended by the Speaker, PTI leader Aamir Dogar and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
Following the meeting, Tariq Fazal said the government was ready to hold negotiations at a venue within Parliament House proposed by the PTI, adding that “the ball is now in PTI’s court.”
Responding to the government’s offer, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the government must demonstrate genuine commitment before formal negotiations could begin. He said it remained unclear who would participate in the talks, what agenda would be discussed, and when the negotiations would take place, adding that PTI was not interested in symbolic meetings or photo opportunities but expected sincere and practical steps from the government.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026