Sunday, 4 december, 2022 I 10 jamadi Awwal, 1444 I rs 15.00 | Vol XIII no 155 I 12 Pages I Islamabad edition
Govt bins imran Khan's snap polls offer g
SAAD SAyS TALKS PART OF POLITICS AND PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED WHEN TWO SIDES HEAR EACH OTHER OUT
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MINISTER CLAIM GOVT ALLIES HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOLDING TALKS WITH PTI
Gen Munir, Centcom chief discuss security cooperation ISLAMABAD staff report
ISLAMABAD
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staff report
HE government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance Saturday turned down former prime minister Imran Khan’s invitation to parleys to hold early elections, arguing that “talks don’t come with conditions”. The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party should “sit with us” if it was “serious” and “sincerely” wanted negotiations, insisted Khawaja Saad Rafique, minister for railways, as he addressed a joint press conference with Rana Sanaullah Khan, minister for interior. “Talks are never conditional anywhere in the world,” Rafique said. “If you put forward your demands first, on what basis will you hold the dialogue,” he asked. Khan was ousted in April following a protracted political drama that saw Shehbaz
Sharif take over as prime minister. Since then, Khan has held massive public rallies demanding the country head to the ballot ahead of the scheduled October 2023 dates, underscoring the risks the government faces as it seeks a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “The only way forward from here is to hold early, and free and fair elections,” the former prime minister told the government. “Any other path will only lead to greater political uncertainty and further economic chaos.” “It’s them [PTI], who need talks, not us,” insisted Rafique. “They start the talk of talks and then shy away from even talking about it. Negotiations are part of the political process and complex problems are resolved when two sides hear each other out.” H said that for the central government, the dissolution of provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not
something to be proud of. “We want the assemblies to complete their constitutional term,” he said. “If Imran Khan is serious then he should understand threats and negotiations are mutually exclusive,” he said. The minister further said their allies in the government had severe concerns about holding talks with PTI. The government would nevertheless talk — unofficially — with PTI, but the party has been told the PDM would ultimately decide if the government wanted a dialogue. Speaking on the occasion, the interior minister said: “He [Khan] wanted to get a date for the elections by threatening and hurling abuses at the establishment. He couldn’t.” “If he wants to get a date from us in a similar manner after having talks, he cannot,” he said.
Newly appointed Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir conducted a video teleconference with US Central Command (Centcom) General Michael Erik Kurilla. According to a press statement issued by Centcom on Friday, Gen Kurilla felicitated the army chief on his new position and the two leaders discussed US-Pakistan security cooperation efforts as well as strengthening the bilateral relationship. Gen Munir and Gen Kurilla have previously established relationship from Gen Kurilla’s time as Centcom Chief of Staff, the statement further added. Gen Munir took charge as the 17th Army chief of Pakistan at a ceremony
held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on November 29. The change of command ceremony took place after a gap of six years, as General Qamar Javed Bajwa, now retired, was given a three-year extension in 2019. The change of command in the army came at a time when the country faces multiple challenges, including deepening political crises, resurgence of militancy. However, for Gen Asim, many observers believe, the single biggest challenge is to restore public image of the security establishment. Under General Bajwa’s six-year extended tenure, the army faced criticism first from the PML-N, when it was in the opposition and now from the party of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Imran says will dissolve Punjab, KP assemblies this month LAHORE staff report
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that he will dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies this month. Addressing PTI KP lawmakers via video link from his Zaman Town mansion in Lahore, Imran Khan said that his dialogue offer to PDM was just meant to emphasize gravity of the situation. The former premier lamented that the ruling coalition had rebuffed his offer for talks, adding that PTI will dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in the current month and go for polls. He once again reiterated that PTI has the full backing of CM Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and CM KP Mahmood Khan and both will dissolve the provincial assemblies on his first call. “My offer was in good faith for sake of nation,” Imran said, reiterating that the government does not want to hold elections. PTI SIndh MPAS SubMIT reSIGnATIonS To IMrAn KhAn: All 26 MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh Assembly have submitted their resignations to for-
mer prime minister and party Chairman Imran Khan. According to details, a delegation of PTI Sindh MPAs – headed by Ali Zaidi – called on the former premier at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park. Haleem Adil Sheikh, Khurram Sher Zaman and other members were present on the occasion. During the meeting, all 26 MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh Assembly have submitted their resignations to Imran Khan. The parliamentary party reaffirmed their support to PTI Chairman’s Haqeeqi Azadi, saying that the provincial assembly seats belonged to Imran. “We will support Imran’s every decision,” he added. It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Imran Khan had announced that his party would quit all the assemblies. IMrAn CAllS for releASInG SwATI, dISASSoCIATInG froM bAjwA’S ‘fASCIST ACTIonS’: PTI chief Imran Khan said on Saturday that he had hoped the new military leadership, after the retirement of former army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, would have “disassociated from the eight months of Bajwa’s fascist actions against [the] PTI, the media and
critical journalists”. In a series of tweets, the former premier claimed that the “entire nation was shocked at the vindictive cruelty” PTI Senator Azam Swati was being subjected to and questioned what his crimes were. “For intemperate language and asking questions which is the right of anyone in a democracy?” Imran asked. He further stated that internationally, Pakistan and its military were being perceived “increasingly negatively” because the incumbent federal government was “seen as a mere puppet government”. Imran said that “74-year-old Senator Swati must be released immediately, not only because he committed no crime to deserve this mental and physical torture”, but because the “petulant and vengeful targeting” was undermining the military’s credibility. He maintained the military’s credibility was “critical for a strong Pakistan”. Last week, Senator Azam Swati was taken into custody for the second time after a raid at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing Islamabad for allegedly tweeting
against senior military officials. He was later produced before a judicial magistrate, who handed him over to the FIA on a two-day physical remand. Moreover, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) prohibited the broadcast and rebroadcast of Swati’s speeches, news conferences and his media coverage, including as a guest at a talk show, statements
or tickers, on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect. TAKen To KuChlAK jAIl: A day earlier, Swati was allegedly transferred to Kuchlak Jail on Friday morning by the Balochistan police. The Senator’s daughter Farah Swati said he suffered “chest pains” and “breathing issues” on Thursday night and was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) early this morn-
ing, in Islamabad. However, she added that he was later discharged “before his lab results came back” and was taken into custody by Quetta police. She also revealed that the family had been informed that Swati had been taken to Quetta as she pleaded with the nation for its support and “raise a voice” for her father.