ISLAMABAD: Despite stating categorically that the time for talks with the government is over, it seems the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is still keeping its options open.

The ruling PML-N has managed to engage PTI chief Imran Khan and the two parties have been in constant contact, discussing various alternatives to the Indepen­dence Day long march for electoral reform.

In a major development, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan met the PTI chief at the latter’s Bani Gala residence on Thursday and asked him to ‘postpone’ the planned march, sources in both parties told Dawn on Friday.

Also read: PTI denies govt’s claims of contacts over Aug 14 march

Sources said the interior minister arrived at Mr Khan’s residence in his private vehicle without any protocol and remained there for over an hour. However, both parties are not willing to officially confirm the meeting, but statements issued by both sides acknowledge that they have been in contact for several days now.

PTI’s demand for mid-term polls begins to emerge

“I am not aware of a meeting on Thursday, but I know that Chaudhry Nisar has met Imran Khan in recent days,” said Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, who is also the official spokesman for the prime minister.

Mr Rashid told Dawn the PML-N would continue efforts to bring both Mr Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to the negotiation table, which was the democratic way to resolve political disputes.

To a question, he said, the government would definitely establish direct contact with the PTI leadership during the upcoming session of the National Assembly, starting next week.

When asked about the Thursday meeting between the two leaders, PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari said, “I can only say that no such meeting had taken place on Friday”.

Sources said the two leaders also discussed the mechanism for the working of the recently-formed parliamentary committee on election reforms.

A source in the PTI told Dawn that Mr Khan had rejected the interior minister’s request to delay the Independence Day demonstration and told him clearly that the party would go ahead with its plan to march on the capital.

This latest meeting comes at a time when PTI leaders’ statements have begun signalling that the party may demand mid-term elections come August 14.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Dawn that mid-term elections were the only solution to the prevailing crisis.

“If all parties believe that last year’s elections were rigged, then there is a huge question mark on the legality of the current assembly,” Mr Qureshi said. “Mid-term polls are the only way out,” he concluded.

Mr Qureshi also denied PML-N’s claims that the government was in touch with certain PTI leaders and was urging the party to call off the march.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had tried to contact Mr Khan, but the PTI chief had refused to talk to him.

Mr Qureshi reiterated his party’s position that the time for talks was over and the decision to go ahead with the long march was “firm and final, come what may”.

He said government ministers were issuing conflicting statements in a bid to create confusion. The PTI would strongly protest in the National Assembly against the government’s decision to invoke Article 245 in Islamabad, he said.

Mr Qureshi claimed he had received reports that the government had decided to put the party’s leadership under house arrest to prevent them from holding the long march. He also alleged that lists of party workers and leaders had already been prepared and the government was trying to pressurise transporters into not providing vehicles to the PTI for their demonstration on August 14.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd , 2014