PM Imran ready to talk to opposition: Naeemul Haque

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to the opposition, said the premier’s aide Naeemul Haque Sunday, stating that the government will not back down from its commitment to move forward on national issues.

Speaking to Geo News anchor Shahzad Iqbal during the programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Haque said that if the opposition even gave a “hint”, the government will not back out from talking to it.

The statement is an important one considering the government and opposition have been at loggerheads over the past year. Opposition parties have accused the government of using anti-graft body NAB to settle scores. The government, on the other hand, has accused opposition politicians of looting the country’s wealth and stashing it abroad.

Speaking on the recent criticism of the government by its allies, Haque said their concerns were valid. “We have to tell them [allies] that the government doesn’t have funds,” he said. “Politics is about ‘give and take’.”

Read moreMQM-P's Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says he is quitting federal cabinet over 'unfulfilled promises'

Rejecting speculation that a deal or understanding had been reached between the government and Nawaz Sharif, he said no “give or take” had been conducted in the case of the former prime minister.

The government has bolstered its efforts to woo its coalition parties — the PML-Q, the MQM-P, the BNP-M and the GDA — with MQM-P's Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui resigning last week. He cited the government's inability to fulfill its promises as the main reason for tendering his resignation. 

PTI, PML-Q reconcile after successful talks

The ruling PTI and the PML-Q reconciled on Wednesday following successful talks, hours after the latter had warned the former of "explosive" consequences its demands were not fulfilled.

The PTI's bid to win over the PML-Q came after the government's negotiation team met a delegation of its ally's leaders, sources had informed Geo News.

The PML-Q had earlier asked the ruling party to let it run its ministries with absolute authority and without any hindrances, whereas its second demand pertained to the immediate release of development funds. It had also warned of "explosive consequences" if the demands were not met.