ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end its long march and sit-in, saying the government would sit down and hold talks with the party if it called off the protest.
Speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone of a road project, the prime minister appealed to the PTI to “come to its senses” and end the march and sit-in.
“For God’s sake, end your long march and sit-in, and if you end it, we will certainly sit with you and talk,” he said, stressing the need for Pakistan to move forward with full resolve.
PM Shehbaz said the “ominous shadows” of sit-ins and long marches were once again emerging, adding that the government and its allies had decided through mutual consultation to engage the PTI leadership in meaningful and sincere negotiations.
“Extensive efforts were made day and night,” he said.
The prime minister said a joint committee comprising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) representatives had held talks with the PTI in the speaker’s chamber for two days and nights.
He said the negotiations continued with breaks and subsequent resumptions, while there was strong hope that the talks would produce positive results and help end the politics of sit-ins.
“Unfortunately, that did not happen,” he said.
Despite the PML-N and PPP engaging in the negotiations in all seriousness, PM Shehbaz said, the PTI demanded further changes at the last moment to matters that had already been settled.
“Their sole objective was to ensure that the dialogue did not succeed in any way,” he alleged.
The prime minister warned that the first target of politics involving sit-ins and long marches would be the economy, saying exports and manufacturing could face disruptions.
“If workers and engineers cannot reach factories and manufacturing sites on time, who suffers? The nation suffers,” he said.
PM Shehbaz said the government had worked hard over the past two and a half years to steer the economy towards stability, adding that even people outside Pakistan were appreciating the country’s current economic situation.
“Do you want to damage it? We will not let it happen, under any circumstances,” he said.
He also warned that the law would take its course, saying protection of the lives and property of citizens was the government’s responsibility.
“The law will take its own course,” the prime minister said.
He added that the government would ensure the protection of public life and property by every available means.
“Does your action benefit Pakistan or harm it? The entire nation knows,” he said.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had planned to complete the road project within a month and commended him and his team for their efforts.
Referring to Kashmir Chowk, the prime minister said the intersection had been named after Kashmir and expressed hope that the highway would one day lead to Srinagar, with the rights and freedom of the Kashmiri people achieved.
He said improved roads, bridges and underpasses would help children travelling to schools, madrassas and universities, as well as cyclists and rickshaw drivers, save time and reach their workplaces on schedule.
