National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said neither the opposition nor the government had contacted him to convene a meeting of the negotiating committees.
Sadiq added that he was ready to schedule the meeting at short notice if both sides requested it, Express News reported.
He added that the meeting could be called within a day or two, but he has not been contacted by either party so far.
He also clarified that it was not his responsibility to arrange a meeting between members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiating committee and the party’s founding president Imran Khan. He added that the government and its allies should decide whether the meeting can take place.
He said that in a phone call on January 4, he had informed Asad Qaiser that he had relayed the PTI’s meeting demand to the government.
He added that PTI leaders could also hold direct discussions with Rana Sanaullah or senior government officials if necessary.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had earlier said that a meeting between the PTI founder and the government’s negotiating committee was delayed due to the absence of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, from the country.
Now that Sadiq is back, Gandapur said the meeting is expected soon, adding that one-on-one discussions with Khan are ongoing.
After months of escalating political tensions, the coalition government and the PTI began dialogue last month. The PTI’s preliminary demands included the release of all “political prisoners” and a judicial investigation into the events of May 9 and November 26.
During the second round of talks chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the PTI sought more frequent access to Imran Khan to finalize a “charter of demands”.
