Lahore: Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday said negotiations between the government and the opposition had collapsed, and made it clear that the government would not allow a repeat of the May-9 incidents or any attempt to storm Islamabad.
Addressing a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium here, he said the talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had reached a win-win situation, but the process collapsed after Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa repeatedly sought changes to the draft agreement. He said the KP chief minister would be responsible if any life was lost, adding that the government would not allow Islamabad to be stormed under any circumstances.
Mohsin Naqvi said he had shown the final draft of the agreement to President Asif Ali Zardari, but upon returning, learnt that the KP chief minister had made changes to it. He said all issues had been settled one by one, but further changes were sought and the draft was amended four times.
The minister appreciated the sincere efforts of Allama Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser, Barrister Gohar and Aamir Dogar during the negotiations, but regretted that the process was subsequently derailed from within the PTI. ‘If the decisions were to be taken by the KP chief minister, he should have participated in the negotiations himself,’ he said.
The minister said that two days earlier, he had asked Barrister Gohar to send a representative of the KP chief minister to discuss the province’s difficulties relating to terrorism. The representatives later met the chief minister, but changes to the draft continued to be proposed. He said the KP chief minister was also invited to join the negotiations but he did not attend. ‘Had the government known that no member of the opposition committee have the mandate of the KP government, negotiations would not have been held,’ he added.
Mohsin Naqvi said the government negotiating team had also made sincere efforts to resolve the issue. He said six or seven points were under discussion, none of which was political in nature, as all concerned terrorism-related matters.
He stressed the need for all stakeholders to stand united against terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it was not acceptable for terrorism to continue in the province while provincial ministers issued statements against the army or remained absent from the funerals of martyrs.
The interior minister said the government had complaints about local-level support being provided to terrorists, which required investigation and remedial measures. He said the KP chief minister became active at 9: 15 p.m., seeking changes to the draft on more than one occasion, and questioned the purpose behind the repeated amendments.
He said that the government had not asked PTI to postpone its long march, although the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had requested the party to defer it. He said the government had already made it clear that negotiations would cease if the long march was launched. ‘Protest is everyone’s right, but no one will be allowed to storm Islamabad,’ he said, adding that action would be taken and cases would be registered against those violating the law or court orders by gathering for a sit-in.
Mohsin Naqvi said the government was aware of preparations for the long march and maintained that a provincial government could not enjoy the benefits of power while taking steps against state interests. He said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been briefed about the previous night’s developments and they would take the next decision jointly.
The minister thanked the members of the negotiating team for their efforts, particularly acknowledging Asad Qaiser’s initial positive response. He said that the government wanted all stakeholders to work together against terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the next decision would be taken in the best interest of the country.