Opposition negotiators say, miles to go before we sleep

ISLAMABAD: The opposition negotiating committee led by Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Siraj-ul Haq met with Imran Khan and Dr. Tahir-ul Qadri on Tuesday night. The committee after meeting with the PAT chief told media men that their meetings had been positive.

The opposition team included Rehman Malik, Liaquat Baloch, Hasil Bizenjo, Ghazi Gullab Jamal, Mian Aslam ans Senator Kulsoom Parveen. The committee first met with Imran Khan in his container where their meeting lasted only 10 minutes and then the negotiators held a meeting with Paksitan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul Qadri.

Following the meeting speaking to journalists, former Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the meeting had been positive while Siraj-ul Haq said, they had come to negotiate with the two leaders as representatives of the people and not the government.

Siraj-ul Haq added, that the negotiations were being held to solve the political deadlock. Speaking of the marchers, Haq said they had remained peaceful and disciplined, adding that he had hoped the marchers would reach Islamabad from Lahore without any untoward incident.

Speaking on the governments resolve, Haq said the government has accepted many of the conditions tabled but added that a lot of work was still to be done to end the deadlock.

It is important to note that the government has given full authority to the negotiating panel to engage the two protesting leaders in result-oriented talks.