Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has urged political parties to exercise “good sense” as the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepare to hold talks ahead of the party’s planned October 4 protest.
Speaking on Friday, Chaudhry was asked whether he expected the PTI to withdraw its call for the October 4 protest following the negotiations.
He said he hoped political considerations would not overshadow the interests of ordinary citizens.
“Hopefully, good sense will prevail and the problems of ordinary people will come to the fore, rather than parties acting on a single desire and creating problems for Pakistan,” Chaudhry said.
The remarks came as government and opposition representatives were scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss the political situation and PTI’s planned march.
The talks are being held at the office of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi leading the government delegation while PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan will be heading the party’s team.
The PTI had initially planned to march towards Islamabad on September 27 but later postponed the mobilisation to October 4.
The party has maintained that the protest is linked to its political demands, including the release of its founder Imran Khan.
PTI leaders have continued to indicate that the October 4 protest remains on schedule. Gohar said on September 30 that the march would proceed as planned while stressing that it would be peaceful and political.
At the same time, government officials have been publicly calling for dialogue to resolve the dispute.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that government and PTI representatives were also engaged in “off-the-record talks” over the proposed protest.
