Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai announced a delay in the party’s civil disobedience movement, citing the formation of a negotiation committee as the key reason.
Yousafzai explained that the movement would have commenced immediately if the PTI leadership had not sought dialogue. He revealed that the party’s founder was requested to pause the decision in hopes of meaningful negotiations. However, the government’s response, he said, has been immature and dismissive.
“The government seems to think PTI has weakened, which explains their current interest in negotiations,” Yousafzai remarked. He stressed that PTI does not want to exacerbate the country’s challenges, but the delay in finalising a timeline is due to ongoing dialogue.
He warned that if substantial discussions fail to materialise, the party’s founder may announce decisive action, holding the government responsible for any resulting fallout.
Yousafzai also urged the government to take urgent measures, highlighting the country’s significant economic challenges. He noted that remittances from overseas Pakistanis, nearing $34 billion, could face a sharp decline if not managed carefully.
Separately, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Talal Chaudhry criticised PTI’s protests and negotiation efforts, calling them a ploy to shield former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief General (retd) Faiz Hameed.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Chaudhry accused PTI of using talks as a façade to protect Hameed, describing the process as a “drama.”
“These talks are deceptive. During our government, any mention of negotiations was interpreted as weakness,” Chaudhry said. He also criticised PTI’s position on the 26th Amendment, claiming that it prevented opposition success on November 26.
Chaudhry alleged that PTI had previously exploited former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s health condition for political gain. Addressing the proposed commission, he stated that it would only proceed if PTI accepted accountability for its past actions.
He dismissed the involvement of figures like former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Faiz Hameed, and PTI’s founder in negotiations, saying, “We cannot entertain talks involving individuals responsible for national crises.”
Concluding his remarks, Chaudhry asserted, “PTI’s founder wouldn’t have existed politically without the support of generals like Zaheerul Islam and Ahmed Shuja Pasha.”
