Islamabad (The COW News Digital) The government has rejected opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s demand to arrange a third location for his proposed meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, insisting that the meeting must take place at the Prime Minister’s House.
In a statement, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah made it clear that the government would not agree to an alternative venue. He said the Prime Minister was prepared to meet the opposition leader at the official residence and that there was no need to designate a third location.
Sanaullah argued that the Prime Minister’s House was state property rather than the personal property of any individual. He said similar objections had been raised previously and described such insistence over the venue as an inappropriate approach.
“The Prime Minister will meet the opposition leader at the Prime Minister’s House,” Sanaullah said, reiterating the government’s position on the proposed meeting.
The adviser also discussed the process for appointing the chief election commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan. He said the prime minister had written two letters to the opposition leader on the matter, with one sent before his departure for the United States and the other after his return.
According to Sanaullah, the government is waiting for Achakzai’s response to the correspondence. He urged the opposition leader to inform the government when he intended to visit the Prime Minister’s House, adding that the government was ready to welcome him.
The statement comes amid political differences between the government and the opposition over negotiations, constitutional appointments and the emergency measures introduced in the country.
Addressing the possibility of talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sanaullah said the government was willing to hold unconditional negotiations with the party. However, he ruled out talks based on a demand for the withdrawal of the emergency, saying that the government would not accept this as a precondition.
He also claimed that PTI had not previously given negotiations a proper opportunity.
Sanaullah said the administrative arrangement established under the emergency would be allowed an appropriate amount of time to operate. He maintained that the government remained committed to combating terrorism and expressed confidence that the country would prevail in the fight.
The adviser further said that PTI could engage with the government on matters related to counterterrorism if it was willing to cooperate. He suggested that cooperation against militant threats could provide an avenue for engagement, while maintaining that the emergency could not be made a condition for negotiations.
The government’s rejection of a third meeting venue leaves the proposed meeting dependent on whether Achakzai agrees to visit the Prime Minister’s House. No date for the meeting was announced in Sanaullah’s statement.
The disagreement highlights the continuing challenges facing efforts to establish political dialogue between the government and opposition at a time when security concerns and constitutional issues remain prominent on the national agenda.
