ISLAMABAD: Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf negotiations teams met ‘informally’ on Sunday and exchanged documents that both sides hoped would make this round of talks more result-oriented than earlier attempts.

Earlier, at a press conference held at his Bani Gala residence, PTI chief Imran Khan announced that his party had come up with a Memorandum of Understanding that would be tabled before the government before the formal resumption of talks.

Later on Sunday night, PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen hosted federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal at his residence, alongside party MNA Asad Umar.

After the meeting, Mr Ishaq Dar said he had also handed over a document to the PTI leadership and would sit with them on Tuesday to discuss the matter in some detail. “We have exchanged documents and it has been decided — in principle — that contents of our meetings will not be made public to avoid speculation,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said the ice had started melting and now both sides were trying to resolve issues amicably. “Our economy requires that the standoff between both sides should be ended and the politics of confrontation and sit-ins should be called off,” he said.

Imran willing to call off countrywide shutdown if date for commission given

When asked about PTI’s demonstration in Lahore, he expressed the hope that it would remain peaceful as the PML-N leadership had issued directives to all party workers, warning them against any confrontation with PTI workers.

Holding a copy of the MoU in his hand at his press conference, Mr Khan said that the document could resolve the political crisis within 24 hours.

He said the MoU concerned the formation of a proposed judicial commission to investigate alleged rigging in 2013 elections and the terms of reference (TORs) of the special investigation team (SIT).

Under one of the clauses of the MoU, a commitment has been sought from the government that all previous points discussed in the earlier talks that were severed in September would be accepted or approved by the two sides.

When asked how the Supreme Court could form a judicial commission, as under the relevant laws only the government could do so, he said the apex court required a presidential ordinance to set up the commission.

He said that all controversial points had been agreed upon by the two sides, except the TORs of the proposed investigation team.

After the press conference, PTI leader Asad Umar told some reporters during an informal chat that the MoU was a condensed version of the earlier 13-point document discussed between both sides. “We have brought down the number of clauses in the MoU from thirteen to six,” he said.

He said that Ishaq Dar had agreed that the talks would pick up from where they had stopped, therefore the ground already covered would not be discussed in the meeting.

About the contents of the MoU, Mr Umar said that it called for the setting up of a judicial commission, formation of SIT, the use of magnetic ink by voters and the dissolution of the National Assembly by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif if the judicial commission’s report confirmed rigging in the 2013 polls.

Earlier, the PTI chairman said that his party would give up its plan to shut down the entire country on Dec 18 if the government just announced a date for the formation of a judicial commission.

Talking about the PTI’s plans to protest in Lahore on Monday, he said the shutdown would be peaceful and no shops would be forcibly closed. “We will only block major roads and will not force traders to shut their shops or businesses,” he said

He also said, “We have no intention to go to Raiwind under Plan C, but it may be included in Plan D.”

Published in Dawn December 15th , 2014