Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman on Sunday said that the negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed because the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government refused to sign the agreed draft concerning cooperation with the federal government on counter-terrorism efforts.
The senator, in a statement, said that all sides had agreed on four drafts during the negotiations, but the talks continued until late at night due to changes proposed by the PTI.
She said that the government had repeatedly stressed the need for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the PTI’s senior federal leadership to participate directly in the negotiations.
She pointed out that neither the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nor any representative of the provincial cabinet attended the talks. If the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had a workable alternative draft, she said, it should have come to the negotiations itself and presented it. The negotiating side was repeatedly informed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and PTI’s senior federal leadership would join the process.
Senator Sherry Rehman said that by 8: 30 p.m., almost all matters had been settled. However, after 8: 30 p.m., the Peshawar government began introducing new conditions. ‘In my 25 years of parliamentary life, I have never seen such an opportunity being allowed to slip away,’ she said.
She described the negotiations as an important opportunity to build political trust, bring stability to the country and end political polarization. After years of bitter political division, she said, an opportunity to promote stability in the country had been lost.
Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized that time and trust are crucial for confidence-building in negotiations around the world. She said that establishing a better working relationship between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and federal authorities could have provided an important beginning.
She added that significant progress could also have been achieved if guidance had been sought from the senior PTI leadership present in Islamabad.
‘This was not a one-sided matter,’ Senator Sherry Rehman said, while appreciating the patience shown throughout the process. She thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for providing sufficient opportunity for the talks and for remaining patient throughout the process.
She said that despite continuous changes, all government negotiating teams remained focused on the talks. ‘Until before Sunday morning, we did not end the negotiations and kept the doors open,’ she said. ‘We continued waiting until the other side stopped returning to the negotiations.’