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| Negotiations on election date: Why is it difficult to reach an agreement between the ruling coalition and PTI |
After the raid on the house of former Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has made a strategy of a long march in case of failure of negotiations with the government and thus a solution to the issue of election can be found through discussion. I have more problems.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that his party will continue negotiations with the ruling coalition despite the attack on Pervaiz Elahi's house and the arrest of his workers.
Speaking to the BBC, he said that PTI workers and leaders had expressed "serious reservations" but his party would continue the talks while respecting the Supreme Court's directives.
However, he said that the negotiation process cannot be "long-term and endless" and that the ruling coalition will have to make a decision soon.
Meanwhile, some government ministers, who are not part of the negotiating committee, have already predicted that the talks will fail. As Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday that it would be better if Tehreek-e-Insaf protests so that these negotiations end.
It should be noted that the third round of talks between the government alliance and PTI will be held on Tuesday. Both sides are showing the possibility that a final decision will be taken on the issue of elections on Tuesday.
A "lack of trust" has been evident on both sides since the beginning of the talks, with both sides complaining that the parties are "not serious" about talks.
"On one side negotiations and on the other side arrests"
On the first day of the talks, Ishaq Dar, Yousaf Raza Gilani, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke to the media and said that the parties have presented their views.
The second round of talks was held on April 28, after which Ishaq Dar, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who is part of the government's negotiating team, said that two proposals have come out in the talks. He said that one proposal is from us and the other proposal is from them (PTI). It has been decided that today's progress will be presented by both sides to their leadership.
However, while these talks were going on, some activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf were arrested but later released.
The situation became tense when the police and anti-corruption team in Lahore raided the house of former Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry condemned the police raid on Pervez Elahi's house and said that on the one hand, the government is negotiating and on the other hand it is trying to make arrests. The federal government expressed indifference to the matter.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi while talking to BBC said that he has raised the issue of arrests and harassment of PTI workers before the negotiation committee, while his 'telephone call with Ishaq Dar' regarding the raid on Parvez Elahi's house. Phonic contact made.'
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that "Ishaq Dar said that the federation has nothing to do with this matter, it has been done by the Punjab government, while the Punjab government is in denial."
They ask, 'So who is doing all this?' Who wants negotiations to fail? It has to be decided by Ishaq Dar, he said that the matter will be investigated.
'Mistrust strongly exists' between parties
The leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaaf has claimed that the raid on Parvez Elahi's house during the talks proves that the members of the government negotiation committee apparently have no position in their government.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi believes that 'mistrust is acutely present' between the parties and the reason for this is the fissures within the PDM alliance itself. The government coalition is falling apart. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is the president of this alliance, is not in favor of negotiations.
He said, "Khawaja Asif, the country's defense minister and a senior member of the Muslim League-N, is still making fun of the negotiations and this team." So the government coalition does not seem serious, but we will discuss it because we want to solve the problems under the constitution.
It should be noted that Defense Minister Khawaja Asif while talking to journalists in Sialkot said that Tehreek-e-Insaf should protest completely so that these negotiations end. Khawaja Asif further said about the negotiations that "I don't know if it was done legitimately or illegally." This is what we are doing.
On the other hand, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to take out an 'Ain Bachao' rally on May 1 and said that if the assembly is dissolved before May 14, we are ready for elections in the whole of Pakistan.
In such a situation, what direction will the negotiations take, can we expect any concrete result from them? The members of the government negotiation committee and Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb did not respond to this, but analysts do not seem too optimistic about this situation.
The leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf has claimed that the raid on Pervez Elahi's house during the talks proves that the members of the government negotiation committee apparently have no position in their government.
Question of dissolution of National Assembly before or after the budget.
Senior journalist Asma Shirazi links the government's anxiety to the fact that the agreement with the IMF has not yet been finalized.
She says that the coalition government hoped that the agreement with the IMF will be finalized and the government will be able to provide relief to the people, which is a necessary step before going to the polls, but it did not happen.
She says that this situation is beyond comprehension. Both the government and Tehreek-e-Insaf want the elections to be held in one day. Imran Khan was not working on making anyone the chief minister in the two provincial assemblies, he also wanted the same to be national action.
Asma thinks that the difference was on the date of the elections. During this time economic recession became a major problem for the government. The government thought that if the IMF deal is finalized, then they will be able to present a good budget and give relief to the people, but at present it is difficult to do so.
Why is there a delay even though the conditions have been met by the IMF? If this whole matter becomes subject to elections, then it is certainly a difficult situation for the present government, and if this matter is rising from the local level, as during the process of negotiations, both the federal and Punjab governments raided Parvaiz Elahi's house. If you look indifferent, then who is it that is doing all this?'
However, he has denied any role of the establishment in this matter.
When the BBC questioned Defense Minister Khawaja Asif about this, he said that he is not a part of the negotiation committee nor involved in this process, "so my information on these matters cannot be firm."
According to the analysts, if the elections are agreed on in September, then the government will have to dissolve the assemblies before that, which is not possible before the budget and it does not seem possible for the government to give relief in the budget.
It should be noted that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected the proposal of dissolution of the assembly after the budget as malicious.
"Flexibility will have to be shown" to hold elections in the entire country in one day.
Reports are also circulating on this matter that PTI is also ready to discuss that new legislation should be passed regarding the ninety days after the dissolution of the assemblies, however, these reports have not been confirmed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. done
Shah Mehmood Qureshi while talking to BBC said that he has given a proposal to the government coalition while staying within the framework of the constitution which fulfills the condition of holding the election for them one day. Now we have to see what answer the committee brings to us on Tuesday after consulting its leadership, however, I cannot say what they have suggested at this point.
On the other hand, the recent agreements with China and especially the visit of the Army Chief to China are also being seen as an important development, and journalists who monitor political affairs believe that there is an effort to unite the government along with the negotiation process. Before the budget, conditions should arise so that they can go to the polls as a strong alliance after giving relief to the people in the budget.
Analysts believe that a political solution to this problem can be found if the political parties do not show stubbornness.
According to Asma Shirazi, both the government coalition and Tehreek-e-Insaf will have to show flexibility. Imran Khan has an advantage in the fact that the elections are held soon, while the government has an advantage in the fact that they get two to three months so that they can go to the elections by giving some relief to the people. So the government should also show flexibility and Imran Khan should also sit with the political forces and find a solution to the problems instead of going to the court.
However, Shah Mehmood Qureshi says that instead of getting a response from the government committee on Tuesday, he will inform the Supreme Court about the progress.