PESHAWAR: A meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party was held in Peshawar, where lawmakers expressed concern over not being taken into confidence following the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and agreed to move forward with negotiations with the government and the establishment. The online meeting of the PTI parliamentary party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa discussed in detail the situation following the imposition of governor’s rule and the emergency in the province. According to sources, participants supported negotiations with the government and the establishment for the restoration of the provincial government and the release of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, suspended Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, and detained members of the provincial cabinet and assembly. The lawmakers also demanded that the party’s central leadership ensure representation of the parliamentary party in the negotiation process. Sources said participants complained that the parliamentary party had ot been taken into confidence regarding the party leadership’s future strategy. They agreed that a joint course of action should be adopted to deal with the prevailing political situation. Participants also expressed concern that neither the provincial government was functioning nor the assembly was operational. They noted that Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Sohail Afridi, members of the provincial cabinet and other lawmakers were in custody, while no clear strategy had been presented regarding the way forward. According to sources, PTI lawmakers called for negotiations with the government and the establishment to seek restoration of the provincial government and secure the release of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, suspended Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, detained cabinet members and other lawmakers. They stressed that if the party leadership initiates negotiations, representatives of the parliamentary party should also be included in the process. The meeting further agreed that if any member of the parliamentary party wished to advance negotiations, a committee would be formed for the purpose.
