ISLAMABAD: Perhaps hoping a change of venue might change their fortunes as well, the government and the protesting parties – Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) – resumed talks on Friday at the Convention Centre.

This was the first time that both parties – whose supporters occupy adjacent spots on Constitution Avenue – met government delegates at the same venue. In addition, the government’s team for both rounds of negotiations on Friday featured the same high-powered delegation that had been hitherto only meeting the PTI.

“The leaders feel safer talking in any one of the dozen committee rooms inside the Convention Centre. The PTI even used the main auditorium for their internal deliberations,” a security official with access to the venue told Dawn. He said that both sides had apprehensions regarding wiretapping and did not want anyone eavesdropping on their sensitive conversations.

Govt more confident in spite of deadlock; PTI team says ministers just kept smiling; PAT rejects Model Town FIR

The government team was in a surprisingly robust mood and looked more confident than ever – in stark contrast to their evasiveness from the past couple of days. During their interaction with the press following both rounds of talks, they were also more aggressive in answering questions.

The team was led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and included Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Safron Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch, Science and Technology Minister Zahid Hamid, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar.

Negotiations with the six-member PTI team – which featured PTI lawmaker Shafqat Mehmood in place of Javed Hashmi, who proceeded to Multan ahead of a medical visit to China – began in the afternoon and ended around 5pm.

The PTI team – which also included Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Arif Alvi, KP Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Jahangir Tareen and Asad Umar – arrived at the venue after deliberations at Mr Tareen’s residence.

Following their near 90-minute meeting, the PTI team emerged from the Convention Centre only to tell media persons that a stalemate still persisted. “We always come bearing with suggestions and measures that may help us move ahead, but unfortunately (the government side) only smiles in return and does not even reply to our queries,” Mr Qureshi said. He said that the government team had not explained any of the contradictory statements coming out of their camp.

“We just want to know what to believe – yesterday’s statement or today’s speech by the PM in the assembly,” he asked and said that, “unfortunately, there was no discussion on our demands today.”

The talks with the PAT delegation began shortly afterwards in a different committee room and continued for nearly two hours.

Talking to the press after the meetings, Senator Ishaq Dar announced that all those demands of the PTI and PAT that fell within legal and constitutional parameters, had been agreed to.

“As for the prime minister’s resignation, we have made it clear that we cannot proceed against democratic norms and the Constitution,” Senator Dar said, adding that “a unanimous resolution favouring the PM (has been passed)”.

Talking about the possible resignation of the Punjab chief minister, he said the PAT team had been told that an investigation was under way as per their demands and if there was even the slightest indication of wrongdoing, the CM or any other accused will be asked to step down immediately.

“Both PTI and PAT should at least wait for the judicial commission and the joint investigation reports, respectively,’ he added.

Talking about the ISPR statement from Friday evening, he said: “The army has acknowledged that the government asked for facilitation, and it is routine for the government to make such request from other departments. Even calling in the army in aid of civil power under Article 245 was asking the army for facilitation,” he said.

He said the Jamaat-i-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement were also facilitating the talks.

After the finance minister’s statement, Ahsan Iqbal told reporters, “Only a small segment wants to create an impression (that there is a rift between the government and the army), but after the military’s clarification, they must be really depressed.”

The PAT team, led by the party’s President Raheeq Abbasi, said the government team had no decision-making powers and that they spent more than two hours discussing their party’s demands in detail.

“We have concerns over the FIR lodged over the Model Town tragedy, while our primary demand of resignation remains unfulfilled,” he added.