LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Chief Sirajul Haq said on Sunday that the resignations submitted by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party members should not be accepted, otherwise the current political crisis will escalate.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Haq said that there was still room for talks.

While appreciating efforts made by both the protesting PTI and PAT and the PML-N, the JI Chief said that as they all claim to follow law, constitution and democracy, there was a need to focus on ground realities to find a peaceful way to end the crisis.

He said he was moved by the fact that despite the large crowds gathered in the Red Zone, there was no damage to property and human life. Haq did however criticize the ongoing crisis, saying the protests had led to an economic crisis and disrupted routine life.

Speaking after the JI Chief, Ayaz Sadiq said he hoped he would not have to accept the PTI's resignation papers on Monday. He also expressed hope that the two sides would resolve their issues before that.

PTI and PAT have staged sit-ins in Islamabad’s Red Zone area since August 14, demanding Nawaz Sharif to resign considering last year’s elections were rigged.

However, the government team has proposed to form a judicial commission comprises of SC judges to probe into allegations of rigging.

In a bid to muster political capital against the 10-day-long protests, Sharif has turned to Zardari for a peaceful way out of this political intense situation.

Despite the third round of talks between the PTI and government delegations a deadlock persist as Shah Mehmood Qureshi proposed PM should resign for a period of 30 days for an independent probe into rigging.

Opinion

Editorial

Consolidating gains
Updated 15 Jul, 2025

Consolidating gains

It would not be incorrect to say that the economy is still just a shock away from relapsing into another crisis.
Second thoughts
15 Jul, 2025

Second thoughts

AND, just like that, the PTI’s ill-timed ‘Second Pakistan Movement’ seems to have been put to rest. The...
Wounded women
15 Jul, 2025

Wounded women

MORALITY is a woman’s burden to bear, and the chilling upsurge in gender-based crimes is a reminder of how...
Tax unrest
Updated 14 Jul, 2025

Tax unrest

Govt has a very poor track record of staying the course of tough decisions that affect the ruling party’s core political base.
Surging numbers
14 Jul, 2025

Surging numbers

PAKISTAN is running out of time — and space. Our population, now over 240m, continues to grow at nearly 2pc a ...
Media matters
14 Jul, 2025

Media matters

PAKISTAN’s journalists are no strangers to living dangerously. The Freedom Network’s new report, Journalism in...