Shibli Faraz reveals why talks can't be held with Maryam Nawaz, Fazlur Rehman

• Faraz says neither Maryam Nawaz nor Fazlur Rehman are in the Parliament
• States that PTI govt to only hold talks with "responsible individuals who sit in the Parliament"
• Asks Opposition to "tell us the date or the year" of your arrival in Islamabad
• Vawda inquires why Maryam doesn't use the word 'fugitive' for Nawaz
• Chaudhry claims PDM being used against Centre, Punjab, and the public institutions

ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday revealed why the PTI-led government could not hold talks with two of thePakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) leaders — the PML-N's Maryam Nawaz and the JUI-F's Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Addressing the media here in the federal capital, Shibli Faraz said neither of the two Opposition leaderswere in the Parliament, which was the real forum to discuss the public's problems. "Maryam Nawaz and Fazlur Rehman are not in Parliament so the government cannot talk to them," he said.

Faraz was flanked byWater Resources Minister Faisal Vawda and Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry.

The PTI regime would only hold talks with "the responsible individuals who sit in the Parliament", he said, challenging the anti-government PDM to apprise the Centre of what it planned to do once it had toppledthe federal government.

The information minister, according to Radio Pakistan, also said the Opposition was geared towards creating chaos in the country to protect their looted money and that those who intended on kicking out an elected government could never favour democracy.

"The PDM's public gathering yesterday neither made any mention of nor praised the soldiers who were martyred in Balochistan," he added, according to the publication.

On the other hand, Vawda, the water resources minister, underscored that "if Maryam uses the word 'fugitive' for [former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf, then why doesn't she call her father with the same name?"

"Pray tell us the date or the year [of your arrival in Islamabad] since -[you made the] claim to be coming here to demand resignations" from the PTI government, he added, noting that PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz's frustration was centred in achieving power.

Radio Pakistan quotedVawda as observing that although the Opposition parties alleged rigging in the 2018 general elections, none of them had filed a petition at any forum.

Chaudhry, the science minister, noted that the PDM's platform was being used against the Centre, Punjab, and public institutions. The government would only hold talks with senior and mature Opposition leaders, he added.