ISLAMABAD: The dialogue process between the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and a political jirga was suspended on Friday following arrest of PAT workers and placing of containers on Rawalpindi and Islamabad roads once again.

PAT chief Tahirul Qadri announced the suspension of talks, citing arrests and registration of cases against his supporters and alleging that the opposition mediators had no mandate and power to hold dialogue on behalf of the government.

The jirga’s members, however, urged the government, the PAT and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to show restraint for overcoming the month-long impasse. They also urged the government to stop arresting PAT workers and withdraw politically-motivated cases lodged against them.

The opposition jirga, led by Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq was scheduled to meet PAT leaders, but recoiled after Dr Qadri’s announcement.

Earlier, the government, in an apparent bid to deter PAT workers from converging at the D-Chowk, re-erected roadblocks while pillion riding was already banned in the twin cities.

“We believe the jirga has lost significance as the government appears reluctant to follow its suggestions,” PAT leader Sardar Mansoor said.

On Thursday, the jirga had presented a ‘workable’ formula to end the crisis and urged all three parties to come up with their point of view.

Sources told Dawn that it had suggested that the government give a respectable passage to PTI chairman Imran Khan to return from his sit-in and that he should not demand, in his daily speeches, resignation of the prime minister while the government started work on a proposed judicial commission on electoral reforms and prepared its terms of reference (TOR).

The sources said the government had been reminded that PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi had not demanded the prime minister’s resignation while speaking at the joint session of both houses of parliament. He had said that saying something from inside the container was different from speaking in parliament.

“We believe Mr Qureshi’s statement was meaningful. Therefore, the government must show flexibility and immediately fulfil all demands, except the resignation,” the sources said. Another jirga member, Rehman Malik, demanded that the government withdraw all politically-motivated cases against PAT leaders and workers as a goodwill gesture and hold meaningful and result-oriented dialogue.

Mr Qureshi, the PTI vice-chairman, had said during a joint press conference with the jirga members on Thursday: “The government needs to take only one step back to end the sit-ins.”

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014