ISLAMABAD: The government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) resumed their stalled negotiations on Friday, with representatives of both the sides saying a judicial commission tasked with investigating allegations of rigging in the last general elections could be set up next week.

Key members of the two negotiating teams told media personnel that following resumption of the talks, which were suspended in September, significant progress had been made with regard to terms of reference (TORs) of the proposed commission. Asad Umar, a member of PTI’s negotiating team, claimed that before the meeting on Friday it had been decided that issues which had already been settled would not be discussed again.

“In the previous rounds of talks both sides had agreed to the formation of a judicial commission through an ordinance and the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to assist the commission in investigating the rigging allegations,” he said.

He said the issue of TORs had been discussed thoroughly in the meeting on Friday. However, he did not disclose details of the deliberations on the matter.

Talking to reporters soon after the meeting, a key member of the government’s negotiating team, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, said: “We are quite close to a solution and will close the deal by next week.”

Flanked by PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mr Dar said that in view of the situation in the country it was imperative that the deadlock between the two sides be ended without any delay.

He was of the view that most of the outstanding issues had been settled and that the negotiators would now meet their party heads to decide how to resolve the remaining issues.

Answering a question about PTI’s participation in a meeting on national security in the Parliament House, the minister said it was a good gesture because the party’s members attended it even though they had tendered their resignations as parliamentarians.

“I hope that PTI will also take part in the meetings of the parliamentary committee on judicial reforms which is working on reforms in the country’s electoral system,” he said.

Mr Dar said significant progress had been made in formulating the TORs of the proposed commission. “The judicial commission will be empowered to call anyone to assist it in investigations into the allegations of rigging,” he remarked.

Mr Qureshi said that during the meeting the two sides showed interest in reaching a logical outcome. “We are hopeful that we will reach an agreement by the next weekend,” he said.

He too said that significant progress had been made on the issue of TORs of the proposed commission.

Mr Qureshi said his party was struggling for formation of the commission and for electoral reforms so that fair and transparent elections could be held in the country.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014