Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Nasir Butt said on Friday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had earlier refused negotiations but was now engaging in talks itself.
Speaking to the media at the Rawalpindi Press Club, Butt said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited PTI for negotiations. He said this responsibility was given to Mahmood Khan Achakzai. However, he added that PTI founder Imran Khan was simultaneously asking the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to prepare for street protests.
Butt questioned what outcome could be expected from such an approach. He said that while the offer of talks by the prime minister was welcomed, mixed signals from PTI raised concerns. According to him, PML-N had been calling for dialogue for the past two years, but PTI had repeatedly rejected the idea and was now accepting it.
He further questioned PTI’s past conduct and asked whether the party would honour any agreement reached through negotiations.
Commenting on economic matters, Butt said the annual losses of Pakistan International Airlines had become unbearable for the government. He said many airlines around the world had already been privatised, and Pakistan should follow the same path. He added that the government would retain a 25 per cent share in PIA after privatisation.
He also stated that the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills should move forward, saying it was necessary to reduce the financial burden on the state.
