Pakistan Government, PTI Explore Possibility of Dialogue as Speaker Suspends Disciplinary Action

Islamabad –( Muhammad Saleem Bearue Report pakistan) Political tensions in Pakistan showed signs of easing on Wednesday after National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq postponed a vote on disciplinary measures against opposition lawmaker Sheikh Waqas Akram, in what is being viewed as a goodwill gesture toward the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The decision followed a meeting at the Speaker’s office between government representatives — including Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry — and a PTI delegation. The talks explored the possibility of initiating formal negotiations between the ruling coalition and the opposition party.

Sources say the move to halt proceedings over Sheikh Waqas’s prolonged absence from parliament was aimed at creating a more conducive atmosphere for dialogue. Both sides reportedly expressed willingness to engage, though insiders note that any official process would require the approval of PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who remains in prison and has opposed talks with the government.

In a separate development, senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Naveed Qamar met PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and former Speaker Asad Qaiser, urging them to pursue a political route that could enable PPP to assist in the party’s rehabilitation.

While PTI’s parliamentary party meeting earlier in the day saw majority support for negotiations, the final decision rests with Khan. Coalition partners PML-N and PPP have privately indicated readiness to facilitate PTI’s return to mainstream politics, but only through structured and formal talks.

Analysts view the latest developments as a rare opening in Pakistan’s polarized political landscape, though past attempts at dialogue have repeatedly stalled amid mistrust and PTI’s insistence on engaging solely with the military establishment — an option the armed forces have shown little interest in.