'Serious negotiations' only with PM Shehbaz: interior minister

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah listens to a question during a property league successful Islamabad connected May 24, 2022. — AFP

• Minister responds to Imran Khan's dialog proposal.
• He stresses lone holding talks with PM Shebaz Sharif.
• Khan has been calling for talks since his party's exodus.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Friday told Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that "serious negotiation" tin lone beryllium held with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arsenic the enactment seeks to clasp talks successful the aftermath of May 9.

"If you earnestly privation to negotiate, past the negotiations volition beryllium held lone with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif," the interior curate said successful a tweet.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who remained adamant astir not holding talks with incumbent leaders whom helium called "thieves", has present changed his stance and is consenting to negociate with the government.

For this, helium had constituted a seven-member committee — comprising PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, erstwhile defence curate Pervez Khattak, erstwhile National Assembly talker Asad Qaiser, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, and erstwhile ministers Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, and Aun Abbasi.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had precocious said that Khan, portion constituting a dialog team, should signifier an "alternate" committee arsenic radical support leaving his party.

And this is what happened erstwhile a time earlier erstwhile Khattak announced relinquishing complaint arsenic PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president.

The government's apical ministers person ruled retired holding talks with the PTI chief, however, Sanaullah has antecedently hinted arsenic good that determination mightiness beryllium immoderate country for negotiations.

Sanaullah, successful an interrogation with Voice of America (VOA), extended the assurance that PM Shehbaz would respond "positively" if the PTI main approached him for talks.

The interior curate said regretted that Khan forms committees for holding negotiations but refuses to beryllium down with governmental opponents himself.

But successful the aforesaid interview, the curate mentioned that from the government's perspective, present mightiness not beryllium the close clip to statesman talks with PTI arsenic it whitethorn wounded the sentiments of martyrs' families owed to the May 9 incidents.

As galore arsenic 100 PTI leaders — from each 4 provinces — person near and much are expected to travel suit, with thousands of workers down bars for their alleged engagement successful the vandalism.

Khan’s enactment has been feeling the vigor of the state’s mightiness aft his enactment workers burnt and smashed subject installations, including the General Headquarters successful Rawalpindi, aft his apprehension connected May 9 — a time the service dubbed arsenic “Black Day”.