LAHORE: The government has started selecting its team for holding negotiations with leaders of the PTI’s long march on their demands expected to be announced by Imran Khan in Islamabad.

A government official told Dawn on Friday that so far the name of Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq had been finalised as one of the interlocutors, while consultations were being held for other members of the team.

Most of the members, he said, would be taken from the parties represented in parliament.

Replying to a question, he said that most likely there would be no PML-N leader in the team.

Meanwhile, the JI emir called upon the government to immediately announce its team and stressed the need for both sides to start negotiations without delay.

JI chief has been finalised as one of interlocutor

Mr Haq started trying to mediate between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf before the latter kicked off its Azadi march.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday he suggested that a committee comprising Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and representatives of the parties in parliament should oversee and facilitate the negotiations between the two sides.

He proposed that the matter should be taken to the electorate if differences between the two could not be resolved through talks.

Mr Haq called Mr Shah and they agreed to meet in Karachi on Sunday to discuss options for resolving the crisis by political means.

The JI leader urged the government to ensure that violent incidents like the one that had taken place on Gujranwala on Friday was not repeated.

He said that long march and sit-in were accepted methods for resolving political issues. He expressed the hope that the current march would add to the strength of the political system and help end the prevailing despair and uncertainty.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014