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Islamabad Pakistan coalition government and former prime minister Imran Khan party They made “significant progress” after they agreed to hold simultaneous elections under caretaker governments across the country, but failed to reach consensus on the date of the elections.
The decision was announced by a senior minister after overnight negotiations between the government and the main opposition party to end a deadlock over the timing of regional and federal elections, an issue that has rocked the cash-strapped country’s politics for months.
The talks were held over the controversy with Khan Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistan PTI is seeking early elections – particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the provinces in which the councils were dissolved in January – and the government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) confirms that provincial and federal elections will be held across the country on the same day in the month of October.
The third and main round of talks between the coalition government and PTI began on Tuesday evening to discuss proposals to hold elections on the same day in the country.
Speaking to the media following the talks, Speaker of the Senate and Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Ishaq Dar described the consensus on two points as a major positive achievement.
Dar said that there was agreement between the two parties to hold simultaneous elections throughout the country under caretaker governments, and there was no confusion between anyone.
He added that there were many things in the background that played a major role including the 18th constitutional amendment, the concept of interim governments and simultaneous opinion polls for free, fair and transparent elections without any controversy.
But he said that no consensus has yet been reached on the date of the elections.
“We have shortened the date … but we have not yet reached an agreement,” he said, adding that the two sides will consult with their leadership on this issue.
He described the consensus to hold one-day elections in the country as “a great progress”.
The minister said that both sides have shown flexibility, and if they continue to work towards a solution sincerely, “the third stage (finishing the election date), which will be the final stage, will also be successful.”
Speaking at his side, Yousuf Raza Gilani of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that it was also agreed that the two parties would accept the election results.
The government side included Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Azam Nazir Tarar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N, joined by Yousaf Raza Gilani and Syed Naveed Qamar of the PPP and other parties. in the coalition government.
PTI, the main opposition party, sent its Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Ali Zafar for talks.
Meanwhile, Qureshi, while briefing the media on the meeting, said his party had agreed to the government’s proposals to hold elections on the same day under caretaker arrangements.
However, he added that no agreement has yet been reached on the date for the dissolution of the National Assembly and the two councils of Sindh and Balochistan, as well as the date of the elections.
Qureshi said PTI had proposed dissolving these councils before or on May 14 before elections could be held simultaneously across the country.
The talks, taking place in the parliament building, were scheduled to begin at 11:00 am on Tuesday but were postponed until 9:00 pm. And as the two sides announced last week, they will discuss each other’s proposals to end the impasse over the elections.
Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said the government should dissolve all assemblies by May 14 to pave the way for nationwide elections on the same date. However, the government is not ready to dissolve the councils.
The first round of talks was held on April 27 and lasted two hours, and the two rivals decided to meet again after consulting with their party chiefs. This was followed by the second round on April 28 when two sessions were held, and in the end Dar said each side had submitted two proposals, which would be submitted to the respective leadership.
The election issue has rocked Pakistani politics as Khan demanded snap elections when he was voted out of power in April last year. Seeing that he had failed to achieve his objective by protesting, Khan dissolved the congregations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January using his own party governments in the two provinces.
However, the cash-strapped federal government used stalling tactics by citing a lack of funds and rising terrorism to set an election date in the two provinces while pushing the narrative that the election should be held on the same day in the country yet. The term of the National Council ends in August.
Problems started when the case reached the Supreme Court which after a hearing ordered elections to be held in Punjab on May 14 and the government must provide 21 billion rupees to the Election Commission of Pakistan. It had set April 27 as the last date for the funds to be submitted.
The government has not provided the funds and has openly stated that it is defying the order to hold the elections on May 14.
The talks began when the Supreme Court signaled its willingness to show flexibility in the election date if the political parties agreed to hold elections across the country on the same date.
The decision was announced by a senior minister after overnight negotiations between the government and the main opposition party to end a deadlock over the timing of regional and federal elections, an issue that has rocked the cash-strapped country’s politics for months.
The talks were held over the controversy with Khan Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistan PTI is seeking early elections – particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the provinces in which the councils were dissolved in January – and the government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) confirms that provincial and federal elections will be held across the country on the same day in the month of October.
The third and main round of talks between the coalition government and PTI began on Tuesday evening to discuss proposals to hold elections on the same day in the country.
Speaking to the media following the talks, Speaker of the Senate and Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Ishaq Dar described the consensus on two points as a major positive achievement.
Dar said that there was agreement between the two parties to hold simultaneous elections throughout the country under caretaker governments, and there was no confusion between anyone.
He added that there were many things in the background that played a major role including the 18th constitutional amendment, the concept of interim governments and simultaneous opinion polls for free, fair and transparent elections without any controversy.
But he said that no consensus has yet been reached on the date of the elections.
“We have shortened the date … but we have not yet reached an agreement,” he said, adding that the two sides will consult with their leadership on this issue.
He described the consensus to hold one-day elections in the country as “a great progress”.
The minister said that both sides have shown flexibility, and if they continue to work towards a solution sincerely, “the third stage (finishing the election date), which will be the final stage, will also be successful.”
Speaking at his side, Yousuf Raza Gilani of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that it was also agreed that the two parties would accept the election results.
The government side included Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Azam Nazir Tarar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N, joined by Yousaf Raza Gilani and Syed Naveed Qamar of the PPP and other parties. in the coalition government.
PTI, the main opposition party, sent its Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Ali Zafar for talks.
Meanwhile, Qureshi, while briefing the media on the meeting, said his party had agreed to the government’s proposals to hold elections on the same day under caretaker arrangements.
However, he added that no agreement has yet been reached on the date for the dissolution of the National Assembly and the two councils of Sindh and Balochistan, as well as the date of the elections.
Qureshi said PTI had proposed dissolving these councils before or on May 14 before elections could be held simultaneously across the country.
The talks, taking place in the parliament building, were scheduled to begin at 11:00 am on Tuesday but were postponed until 9:00 pm. And as the two sides announced last week, they will discuss each other’s proposals to end the impasse over the elections.
Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said the government should dissolve all assemblies by May 14 to pave the way for nationwide elections on the same date. However, the government is not ready to dissolve the councils.
The first round of talks was held on April 27 and lasted two hours, and the two rivals decided to meet again after consulting with their party chiefs. This was followed by the second round on April 28 when two sessions were held, and in the end Dar said each side had submitted two proposals, which would be submitted to the respective leadership.
The election issue has rocked Pakistani politics as Khan demanded snap elections when he was voted out of power in April last year. Seeing that he had failed to achieve his objective by protesting, Khan dissolved the congregations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January using his own party governments in the two provinces.
However, the cash-strapped federal government used stalling tactics by citing a lack of funds and rising terrorism to set an election date in the two provinces while pushing the narrative that the election should be held on the same day in the country yet. The term of the National Council ends in August.
Problems started when the case reached the Supreme Court which after a hearing ordered elections to be held in Punjab on May 14 and the government must provide 21 billion rupees to the Election Commission of Pakistan. It had set April 27 as the last date for the funds to be submitted.
The government has not provided the funds and has openly stated that it is defying the order to hold the elections on May 14.
The talks began when the Supreme Court signaled its willingness to show flexibility in the election date if the political parties agreed to hold elections across the country on the same date.
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