Federal government not responsible for failure of talks with PTI: Mohsin Naqvi

ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (APP): Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Tuesday informed the Senate that the federal government had acted in accordance with the Constitution and was not responsible for the failure of talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Responding to points raised by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas, the minister asked him to identify any specific constitutional provision that had been violated.

Mohsin Naqvi said the talks at Parliament House had begun with the issue of terrorism. He said Asad Qaiser had expressed willingness to cooperate, but the government had asked the PTI to consult the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government before reaching an agreement.

He said the government had requested the KP chief minister to join the negotiations so that he could make decisions on security matters.

The minister said the government wanted to prevent the loss of even a single life and could not continue to see police officers and security personnel being killed while the provincial government did not stand with it.

Mohsin Naqvi said the government had accepted six proposed changes despite a disagreement over paragraph four.

He said the opposition later conveyed that PTI leader Murad Saeed would respond to the proposals.

The minister said the government had evidence of contacts and financial transactions between terrorists and some PTI members. Counterterrorism was the government’s sole agenda in the talks, he added.

He said permission had been granted to record a meeting with the PTI founder on Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s mobile phone, and the demands made during the meeting had been accepted.

However, the opposition said the recording would be made the following day, he added.

Mohsin Naqvi said the government had itself invited the opposition to talks and wanted peace to prevail while negotiations continued.

He said some PTI leaders had taken a wrong step and reiterated that the government was not responsible for the failure of the talks.