ISLAMABAD: The opposition Jirga will meet on Monday to devise a strategy to break the latest deadlock in talks between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

A source told Dawn that Jirga members believed that a government crackdown on the protesting workers had made their job more difficult.

The Jirga had earlier succeeded in bringing the parties back to the negotiation table when the talks were suspended on August 30 after a clash between police and PTI and PAT workers at D-Chowk.

Know more: Opposition jirga presents ‘workable solution’ to end impasse

Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq, who is the head of the Jirga, asked the government on Saturday to release the arrested workers of PTI.

He said the Jirga wanted an ‘honourable exit’ for all parties from the current political impasse and called upon the government to make a beginning by releasing the PTI workers.

The Jirga on Thursday had presented what it called a ‘workable’ formula to end the crisis and asked the government, PTI and PAT to come up with their points of view.

Rehman Malik of the PPP, another member of the Jirga, had already asked the government to withdraw all politically-motivated cases against PAT leaders and workers as a goodwill gesture to make the dialogue process result-oriented.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2014