ISLAMABAD: The opposition mediatory jirga urged the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek on Monday to suspend sit-ins so that their workers could return to their homes to celebrate Eidul Azha with their families.

Talking to newsmen after their meeting, the jirga leaders said: “We have decided to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, instead of meeting the second-tier leadership of the three sides.

“We call upon PTI and PAT leadership to allow participants of their sit-ins to return to their homes to celebrate Eid” said Rehman Malik, a member of the jirga.

He said the political impasse would have been settled if there were no arrests of PTI and PAT workers.

Mr Malik said the crisis had almost been resolved because the government had accepted a major demand of PAT and five demands of PTI.

Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq, who is heading the jirga, said the nation wanted to see the problem resolved before Eid.

He regretted that neither the government nor the PTI and PAT replied to jirga’s suggestions sent on Sept 8 and 18. “The three sides have not replied to the jirga’s letters,” he said.

He said now the jirga would hold direct talks with Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri.

“We want to meet the prime minister before meeting Mr Khan and Dr Qadri,” he said.

The dialogue process has been suspended after the last meeting of the jirga with the leaders of the protesting parties on Sept 18.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2014