PTI would be willing to engage with the government if it agreed to hold early polls, says Asad Qaiser

Ex-National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. — Twitter/File

ISLAMABAD: Amid the rising political temperatures, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Thursday again offered dialogue to the coalition government to finalise a date for the national elections.

The offer came hours after the National Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the three-member Supreme Court bench’s “minority” verdict on the Punjab elections and made it binding on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet not to implement the decision.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who had been demanding early national elections since his ouster in April last year, earlier said he was ready to wait for the polls till October if the PDM government shared a roadmap with him ensuring that everything would be in order.

Talking to a local newspaper, PTI leader and former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said the PTI would be willing to engage with the government if it agreed to hold early polls. However, he made it clear that the PDM would have to publicly declare its readiness to engage in negotiations to decide the schedule.

Asad said if a constitutional amendment was necessary to adjust the schedule beyond the mandatory 90-day period and prevent anarchy in the country, his party would support it.

“We want the government to sit together with us; we are also ready for a constitutional amendment if, for one time, the [polls] can be extended beyond 90 days. What more flexibility can we offer?”

The PTI leader said it was the responsibility of the government to take the initiative for talks and urged the prime minister to publicly announce his willingness to hold discussions after which the PTI would sit and settle the matters together. “This is the need of the hour that political leaders talk things out,” he added.

He also accused the government of merely wanting to buy time and not being serious about holding fair and transparent elections.

He also accused the government of attacking the Supreme Court and observed that the National Assembly resolution was a dishonest attempt to provide relief to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Qaiser said the Supreme Court was responsible of safeguarding the Constitution, which was currently at stake. He said the PTI would not engage in political revenge against its opponents if it came to power.

Qaiser said Imran had declared his willingness to forgive those who had attacked him.

Talking to media persons, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said emergency could not be imposed in the current political situation.

“The only way to stop elections in Pakistan is to throw out the Constitution but this move will pave way for martial law in the country,” he warned.

“After April 22, all the actions taken by the caretaker ministers would be unconstitutional,” he said and warned that Article 6 would apply to the interim ministers who signed any paper after the date.

Responding to a question about the NA resolution, he said the motion was passed by 42 out of 372 members of the house. As per the Constitution, a two-thirds majority in both upper and lower houses of parliament is required to abolish the verdict of the top court, Fawad said.

To another question about the Cabinet Division’s declaration, the PTI leader said, “Those ministers who refused to accept the Supreme Court’s verdict have committed contempt of court.”