PM Shehbaz’s invitation for talks still stands, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tells PTI

• Rana says met PTI after Achakzai had written to PM Shehbaz.
• PPP, opposition agree on high-level contacts and regular meetings.
• PPP meeting’s agenda focused on strengthening parliament.

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Monday told Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for talks still stands, urging the party to engage in dialogue if it is serious about negotiations.

Speaking on the Senate floor, the federal minister said that the PTI was welcome to begin talks if it was serious and its leaders held the party’s mandate. He said the prime minister had already extended an invitation for dialogue.

“The opposition leader can speak in the National Assembly or meet the prime minister — a meeting and conversation can happen,” he said, adding that if the opposition leader in Senate was willing to meet, he could speak with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah in the Senate.

Later in the day, Sanaullah, Tariq Fazal and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar met Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Opposition Leader in NA Mahmood Khan Achakzai in the latter’s chamber at Parliament House.

Speaking to Truth Wire after the meeting, Sanaullah said Achakzai had written a letter to the prime minister, and the ministers had come to consult with him in connection with the prime minister’s response to that letter.

The prime minister had time and again offered dialogue to the opposition and its alliance, most recently in December last year.

The PML-N-led government and Imran Khan-founded party have remained at loggerheads since the 2024 elections, with the party initially demanding judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 protests. The disagreements have since expanded to include several issues, notably Imran Khan’s health and release.

PPP-opposition meeting

Separately, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the opposition agreed on high-level contacts and meetings between their respective leaderships.

A senior PPP delegation is set to meet opposition leaders Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas at the Opposition Leader’s Chamber in Parliament House on Tuesday at 11am.

Opposition movement spokesperson Akhwanzada Hussain Yousafzai confirmed the contacts between PPP and the opposition.

PPP leader Naveed Qamar said the delegation would include Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Saleem Mandviwalla and himself. He said the purpose of the meeting was to strengthen and stabilise parliament and to further reinforce parliamentary committees.