"If their [PTI] founder is facing troubles [in jail], then I reiterate: come, let's sit down and talk," says PM         Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (right) shakes hands with PTI leader Asad Qaiser at National Assembly in Islamabad on June 26, 2024. — PM Office

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday offered an olive branch to the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) once again and asked it to sit with the government to resolve issues.

“If their founder (PTI founder) has any problems or issues, he should tell us. I reiterate that come, talk and help resolve issues by sitting together,” he said while responding to hard-hitting speeches of PTI-backed parliamentarians, including Ali Muhammad Khan, during a discussion on the cut motion on demands for grants.

The PM said after the 2018 rigged elections, they (PMLN) decided to sit in the National Assembly despite all reservations and he, after offering the Charter of Democracy, also offered the Charter of Economy, but the response given by the PTI government would be remembered as a black chapter in history.

“Not only that my offer was rejected but slogans that were raised in response will be remembered as a black chapter in history,” he said. He recalled that the next year, when he delivered a speech on budget and made the offer again, such slogans which could not be mentioned here were raised.

Shehbaz questioned as to who was responsible for the present bitterness. The politics had reached such a state that even after 76 years of independence, politicians were not ready to shake hands with each other. “There was a time when politicians used to criticise each other, but they would share happiness and sorrows of each other also,” he recalled.

Shehbaz said if there was any unfair treatment of anyone, politician or not, it is justice that should prevail. He said Ali Muhammad Khan spoke very emotionally in the National Assembly. But he should also have mentioned that when he was in jail, his mother died in London. “I told the jail superintendent that my mother has died but he said I will have to appear before the court today,” he added.

Shehbaz said he was provided such a van to appear before the court which aggravated his back pain. “Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah are present here; they were made to lay on floor in jails, though they were under trial,” he said, adding that he never wanted such treatment was meted out to any politician now.

The PM again offered the opposition to sit with the government to resolve issues. “Let us sit together to take the country to progress and prosperity, there is no other way forward,” the PM said.

In response, the opposition leader, Omar Ayub Khan, said that form 47 prime minister just spoke on the floor of the house. He said they would be ready to talk to the government only when his leader Imran Khan would be out of prison, along with other party leaders. “This house will function only when there is mutual respect,” he said amidst interference from the treasury benches.

“This should be very clear in your minds: you tortured our workers, you have kept our women workers in prison vans at 45°C. My prime minister Imran Khan was kept in a death cell, there is an oven-like environment over there,” he said, amid sloganeering from the ruling parties’ parliamentarians.

Responding to PM’s offer of talks, he said that reconciliation would take place when the abuse of Yasmin Rashid, Mehmoodur Rasheed and Hassaan Niazi was realised by the government authorities. Omar Ayub claimed that when former premier Nawaz Sharif was in prison, he had air-conditioners installed in his jail cell. “I was also not allowed to attend the burial of my father,” he recalled.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman once again strongly opposed the operation Azm-e-Istehkam, saying it would take the country to instability, instead of serving the purpose of stability. He said people have been suffering from operations since the year 2010, questioning whether the war against terrorism was an international agenda or Pakistan’s need.

Fazl said the “state staged dramas with people” in the name of operation and population from Swat and Waziristan were displaced. “Our women were disgraced, people’s livelihood ended and situation reached starvation level,” he recalled.

The JUIF leader said that people at Chaman border in Balochistan, Ghulam Ali, Angoor Adda and Jamrud areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had been protesting for the last nine months due to restrictions on cross-border movements. “Those who create such circumstances are called loyal to the country and those who speak against it are considered traitors,” he said. He pointed out that properties of some families exist on both sides of the border and people living in border areas did not accept such restrictions.

Without giving evidence, Maulana Fazl claimed 40,000-50,000 armed people had crossed the border from Afghanistan. There are fears that there would be “Amarat-e-Islami Government” in Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and other adjoining districts in the next few months, he said while giving a veiled reference to the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

He said the prime minister and army chief did work hard during their last visit to China, but no significant success could be achieved. He recalled that Pakistani leadership also referred to Pak-China friendship during the recent visit of Chinese minister to Pakistan and he also spoke in the same tone. But the Chinese minister also expressed concerns over political instability and law and order situation in the country.

The Maulana, while coming down hard on the government for giving a tax-based federal budget, said people were not ready to pay taxes because they had no trust in their government, and the same had been happening in the past. “Our people know that taxes collected from them will not be spent on their welfare and will be used for payment of loans of the IMF and World Bank,” he claimed.