KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party leader Rehman Malik on Thursday said the onus lies on the government to manage and resolve the political impasse.

Speaking to media representatives in Karachi on Friday, the PPP leader said the army has given a clear signal to Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri and that it was now up to them to manage the situation.

The three leaders should pay heed to the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Malik said, adding that the parties should not ignore the message or there was a fear of a referee stepping in.

Malik said if we fail to resolve the current political impasse, the situation can get worse.

He said both parties should focus on a resolution through talks, adding that it was up to the sagacity of the prime minister that the issue is resolved in an amicable manner.

Malik said PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had directed him to conduct a meeting as many political leaders of the country as possible and deliver his message to them.

He added that he had met with political parties and they were on the same page regarding the current situation.

Responding to a question, the former minister said the PPP had solved issues that were similar in nature in an exemplary way.

“The situation has exacerbated now and I was advising the prime minister since the first day to keep a robust team which could tackle the situation with effective negotiation,” said Malik.