After nearly a week of stonewalling, both Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have begun talking to the government, a day after the army made it clear that both sides must put an end to the impasse through discussion.
This comes as both party chiefs have stuck to their guns and continued to demand the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet.
Meanwhile, the army has refused to mediate between the government and the protesting parties to defuse the political crisis and has instead asked both sides to work for a settlement on their own.
Follow our coverage of the political situation below.
No extra-constitutional changes in Pakistan acceptable: US
The United States has said that no extra-constitutional transfer of power in Pakistan was acceptable and warned that those “attempting to impose these changes” should not do so.
“Nawaz Sharif was elected and is prime minister. There is a government that was elected and is in place,” State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said at a briefing in Washington.
“We support the constitutional and electoral process in Pakistan...That was a process they followed, an election they had, and we are focused on working with Pakistan,” said Harf.
“And we do not support any extra-constitutional changes to that democratic system or the people attempting to impose them.”
Nawaz, Mamnoon discuss political situation
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called on President Mamnoon Hussain at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.
During the meeting, the premier took the president into confidence on the prevailing political crisis and demands put forward by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leadership.
According to credible sources, the premier also took approval from the president on certain important matters.
The president agreed that the prevailing political crisis should be resolved through political approaches and dialogue.
Hussain appreciated the political initiative taken by Nawaz to hold talks with the PTI and PAT.
Both the leaders agreed that the prevailing crisis was affecting the country and should be resolved soon.
The PTI and PAT are protesting against alleged rigging in the 2013 elections and are demanding the resignation of PM Nawaz whose government they call the outcome of a rigged election.
Lawyers' observe strike against PTI, PAT protests
Lawyers with the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) are observing a strike today against the sit-ins held by the PAT and the PTI in Islamabad saying the campaigns were putting the parliamentary democratic system in peril.
Lawyers from Sindh and Punjab are also scheduled to hold rallies and sit-ins in several areas of Lahore and Karachi against the protests by PTI and PAT.
The decision to hold a countrywide strike was taken at a joint meeting of the premier lawyers’ bodies — the PBC and the SCBA — who took exception to Imran Khan’s call for civil disobedience urging the PTI chief to recall it.
Little headway with PTI
The first effort at negotiations between the government and PTI ended without any progressthough with a resolve to meet again.
Within twenty hours of the first message of the army suggesting that the stakeholders reach a solution, an intransigent PTI chief Imran Khan agreed to talks and by Wednesday midnight the party’s five-member team was huddled up with a government team at a conference room at a five-star hotel.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Javed Hashmi, Dr Arif Alvi, Asad Umer and Jahangir Tareen met Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, federal ministers Zahid Hamid, Pervez Rashid, Ahsan Iqbal and retired Lt General Abdul Qadir Baloch at the hotel.
The security personnel standing outside confirmed that the two sides were talking to each other behind closed doors.
When the two sides came out, Qureshi told the media that PTI had presented its six demands to the government team and that the latter would provide a response by Thursday.
Though the meeting appeared to end in a deadlock, the two sides appeared hopeful and friendly towards each other.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday.
Signs of thaw as all sides agree to talk
Talks began after charged party workers, spurred on by Dr Tahirul Qadri, laid siege to Parliament House while a session of the National Assembly was being held. Tensions were only quelled after the military contingent deployed at parliament intervened.
PAT arrived at the negotiating table first, happy to talk to government representatives in the public eye. The government side also demonstrated a will to negotiate as it sent a couple of groups to Qadri’s container on Constitution Avenue, even though he did not participate in discussions himself.
PTI preferred to negotiate behind closed doors and held discussions with a five-member government committee late into the night, which adjourned with a pledge to meet again the next afternoon.
Army advises parties to hold talks, refuses to mediate
The army has refused to mediate between the government and the protesting parties to defuse the political crisis and has instead asked both sides to work for a settlement on their own.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali met Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif for the fourth time in eight days on Wednesday. They were told to directly engage the PTI and the PAT in a “meaningful dialogue” and find out an “urgent solution”.
Gen Sharif asked the government to demonstrate “seriousness” in opening talks with the protesters.
A source privy to the discussions between the government and the army chief said the civilian leadership, besides seeking help for security, had been asking for assistance in negotiating a settlement.
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