Negotiators for the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the government failed to make a breakthrough yesterday and adjourned the talks till tomorrow (Friday) to seek time for internal consultations.
On the third consecutive day of the parleys, negotiators from both sides discussed the latest addition to the PAT’s list of demands — formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the use of force by police against protesters marching to Prime Minister House on Aug 30, which resulted in the death of three of them.
“We have asked for a JIT to investigate who was responsible for the violence and the consequent deaths in Islamabad,” a PAT negotiator told the media.
The government rejected the PAT’s demand on the ground that if it were to form a JIT on the Islamabad incident, police would not accept their orders in future. The government has already faced such refusals by senior officers of Islamabad police.
Thirteen criminal cases have been registered against the leaders of the PAT and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on the charges of murder attempt, assault, illegal gathering, damaging public property, trespassing and incitement to violence. Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act has also been invoked in some of the FIRs.
