ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek and its allies told the government negotiating team on Monday that they would continue their protest until their demands were accepted.

“The government’s rigidity and hypocrisy is the biggest obstacle in the way of the (success of) negotiations,” Syed Asad Abbas of the Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, one of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s allies, said after the latest contact between the PAT and the government.

The two sides, which met after a gap of four days, agreed to hold another meeting on Tuesday.

“We believe in negotiations. We’ll meet tomorrow again. There are a few things which need further discussion,” Pakistan Awami Tehreek president Raheeq Abbasi said after the meeting with the government team.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said the latest round of talks had produced “positive results” and the two sides had agreed to continue with the process.

He asked the Pakistan Awami Tehreek to call off its sit-in in view of the floods which had resulted in a large number of deaths and massive destruction.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2014