File photo of Hammad Azhar
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s offer for negotiations only applies to the country’s “real decision-makers”—an apparent reference to the military establishment—and not “puppets” in the government, the party’s central Punjab Secretary General Hammad Azhar said on Friday.
A day earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that if PTI Chairman Imran Khan was sincere about his offer for dialogue, he should call Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Serious talks can only be with the prime minister,” he added in a Twitter post. Reacting to this statement, Azhar said the PTI did not wish to “waste time negotiating with puppets.”
The former economic affairs minister, who is currently evading arrest after police accused him of involvement in the May 9 riots, said the ruling coalition had been “imposed” on the public, adding they had “no vote bank” and were currently being sheltered by “crutches.”
Last month, during an address delivered via video-link, Khan had said he was forming a seven-member negotiating committee to initiate dialogue—though he did not specify who he aimed to talk to. Of that seven-member team, two people—Azhar and Murad Saeed—are currently evading arrest; two—Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser—have said they are stepping away from the party’s leadership; one—Shah Mahmood Qureshi—is currently detained in prison. Haleem Adil Sheikh and Aon Abbas Buppi are the only ones currently in a position to conduct any negotiations.