Urdu Report Desk
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday announced the end of negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), warning that the government would not tolerate the party’s long march toward Islamabad.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said the government had already made it clear that negotiations would not continue once the long march began.
Blaming KP Chief Minister for Talks Breakdown
Naqvi said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been briefed about the status of the negotiations.
He accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of attempting to sabotage the talks, saying Afridi rejected the draft after it had been finalized.
Naqvi said he had taken the final agreement to the president and had also informed the prime minister. However, he claimed that Afridi later introduced changes even to the finalized agreement.
PTI Negotiators Worked in Good Faith
The interior minister said Barrister Gohar, Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram and Aamir Dogar had participated in the negotiations in good faith.
“If Sohail Afridi had to make all the decisions, he should have joined the negotiations,” Naqvi said.
He added that the government would not have entered into negotiations if it had known that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would eventually veto the agreement.
Talks Also Focused on Terrorism
Naqvi said the issue was not purely political and was also related to terrorism. He said the government wanted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.
He said Asad Qaiser had stated that they were with Pakistan on all points, while the government had requested that the KP government also be taken on board.
According to Naqvi, two agreements were under discussion: one involving opposition parties and another concerning terrorism.
Warning Against Another May 9
The interior minister said the government would not allow a repeat of the May 9 events under any circumstances.
He blamed Sohail Afridi for the breakdown of the negotiations and warned that he would be held responsible if any life was lost.
Naqvi said the province was facing a war-like situation while the KP chief minister was making statements against the army.
Government Vows to Stop Islamabad Marches
Naqvi said the government had not asked PTI to postpone its long march and reiterated that negotiations had ended after the march began.
He warned that anyone entering Islamabad would be in contempt of court and said the government would bring an end to what he described as repeated attempts to advance on the capital.
“We will not spare those taking part in the long march,” Naqvi said, adding that the government would also go to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said the government would now implement whatever decision was taken by the president and the prime minister.
