A scheduled meeting between the Pakistani government and opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was postponed on Tuesday after PTI representatives failed to attend. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who chaired the talks, expressed disappointment but stated that the dialogue committee would remain intact.
“We waited for 45 minutes, but PTI informed us they wouldn’t attend without consulting their leadership,” Sadiq said, adding that he remains open to further discussions.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar highlighted that the government was prepared to address PTI’s concerns but noted the absence made progress impossible. “We were ready with responses, but how can dialogue continue without the other side?” he remarked.
Efforts to engage PTI had intensified earlier, with Sadiq personally reaching out to Omar Ayub, PTI’s negotiation committee head, urging them to participate. However, Ayub cited party chairman Imran Khan’s decision to boycott the meeting, accusing the government of using stalling tactics and failing to meet PTI’s demand for a judicial commission.
The breakdown of talks marks another setback in efforts to resolve political tensions in Pakistan. Despite the impasse, Sadiq expressed hope for a resolution through dialogue.
