ISLAMABAD: The government didn’t get much rest on Sunday. It continued working on pacifying the protesting parties, which have laid siege to Constitution Avenue, by sending federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique to talk to Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s Dr Tahirul Qadri.

However, the minister proved unsuccessful in convincing the cleric to soften his attitude. The latter insisted that negotiations would not move forward till an FIR was registered against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, for their alleged involvement in the deaths of PAT workers in the Model Town incident in June.

The minister landed at the PAT dharna without any prior intimation or announcement despite the fact that earlier the protesting leader had refused to accept Mr Rafique as a member of the government team set up to negotiate with his team.

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PAT had argued then that as the minister was one of the people the party had nominated for the FIR, it would not talk to him. He was then removed from the team.

However, on Sunday, he was let into the container where he spoke to Dr Qadri directly.

After the meeting Mr Rafique spoke to media persons and said the government was ready to hold talks with PAT on its main demand -- registration of FIR on Model Town killings. “The solution of the problem will be found through negotiations,” he said.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, a PAT official, Raheeq Abbasi, said the government team sent had no mandate to offer any concession on the issue of the FIR. This is why, he said, the deadlock prevailed.

When asked why the minister was allowed to meet the cleric, he said, “We are hospitable people and when he turned up at the dharna, Dr Sahib called him in for a meeting.”

Mr Abbasi said the minister spoke to Dr Qadri about the government’s viewpoint on the issue of the FIR. “Khawaja Saad Rafique assured us that he will talk to the prime minister and get back to us,” he added.

Later, Dr Qadri made a speech to his followers.

He told them that Khawaja Saad Rafique had come to make an effort to end the deadlock.

“He assured us that the talks between the government and PAT will resume and that the issue of the registration of FIR will be discussed,” the PAT chief said.

He vowed to continue the dharna in front of parliament till his demands were addressed, warning the government to desist from violence.

“If I am killed my followers will be ready to be martyred and the Parliament House will become a graveyard of martyrs,” he thundered.

However, Mr Rafique was not the only politician who reached out to Dr Qadri.

The cleric spent a very busy day.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari also called him and the two, according to the official account, discussed the current situation during the telephone call.

In addition, PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi also called on the PAT chief, where once again the prevailing political situation was discussed.

Both leaders, who are supporting PAT’s protest, had also met PPP co-chairman Mr Zardari in Lahore on Saturday.

Apart from these mainstream politicians, a delegation of Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC) also met Dr Qadri after a special meeting of the council.

The meeting ended up supporting most of the demands of PAT and urged all the stakeholders to find a reasonable middle way to defuse the tension. They were in favour of the registration of the FIR and a transparent investigation into the Model Town incident.

After this, the delegation went to D-Chowk to meet Dr Qadri.

The delegation included the council’s president Sahibzada Abulkhair Muhammad Zubair, Liaquat Baloch and Allama Sajid Naqvi.

It is noteworthy that on Sunday the focus remained on the government-PAT negotiations because of these visits, while PTI and its demands remained in the background. In fact, the rumours of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif resigning were so strong that his office had to issue a denial to put an end to the whispers.

The rumours suggested that the resignation of the chief minister would help reach a deal with PAT.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif along with the prime minister spent the weekend in Lahore. However, he is reported to be travelling to Islamabad on Monday morning.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2014