According to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani government will not hold negotiations with a “militant” party, such as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), until the party apologizes for their violent riots following the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.
During a joint parliamentary meeting, Bhutto-Zardari also warned the PTI that they have only one opportunity to “clarify whether it wants to become a political party or not.”
If the PTI is indeed a political party, then it should condemn the arson attacks and violence that took place and apologize, said Bilawal.
“If it refuses to do so then we will not negotiate with a ‘militant party’, whether on the instructions of the chief justice or anyone else,” he emphasized.
These remarks from the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) come after PTI supporters engaged in riots in response to the arrest of their leader in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The riots included attacks on military installations and the destruction of both private and public property lasting for multiple days.
More information to come…