The second round of talks between the ruling coalition and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to take place later today (Friday) to develop a consensus on holding of elections in the country.

Both sides are at loggerhead with Imran Khan-led party seeking snap elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where assemblies were dissolved by the PTI earlier this year.

However, the government, which came into power last year following the ouster of Imran Khan through no-confidence vote, is calling for holding polls on all national and provincial assemblies’ seats simultaneously in October.

The PDM government has also defied orders issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for release of Rs21 billion funds for Punjab and KP elections, which are slated to be held on May 14 in line with the court’s ruling.

During the hearing of petitions related to elections, the top court had recommended the both sides to engage in dialogue to develop consensus besides warning the government that its order for holding polls on May 14 was effective if both sides failed to reach an agreement.

The first round of talks was held at the Senate Secretariat where Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Ali Zafar represented the PTI while the government side is represented by Mr Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ayaz Sadiq, Mr Gilani, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Kishwar Zahra and Muhammad Abubakr.

Sources said that the PTI stressed dissolution of the National Assembly (NA) as the PTI wanted the NA to be dissolved no later than July.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, talking to the media, said political problems could be addressed with good intentions. “The solution will be sought following the constitutional provisions,” he added. The PTI wanted to move forward, he said, with country’s progress as the topmost agenda.

He went on to say that the government still needed time to deliberate. “We suggested them to take time and come back with a proposal,” he added.

Gilani said, “We would take a final decision after taking all the parties on board,” adding that talks were held, he said, in a good environment.

“We have to review the matters while remaining in the ambit of the constitution,” he added. “We have no demands,” said Mr Dar.

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Hours ago, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had agreed to start talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on elections today at 6pm. 

Sources said Attorney General Mansoor Awan called on the PM and apprised him of the court proceedings. The JUI-F would not become a part of the negotiations, sources told.

Later, federal law minister Azam Nazir Tarar and Senator Ali Zafar also came in contact with each other.

Earlier, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani had, in a letter written to Leader of the House Ishaq Dar and Leader of Opposition Shehzad Wasim, sought four names each from the government and the opposition in the Senate for constituting a special committee for talks. He wrote that he had been approached by the government and allies to “facilitate the initiation of political dialogue to address the ongoing political and economic crisis including the holding of general elections. 

“In this context, the constitution of a committee comprising members of the Senate belonging to both sides of the aisles has been proposed,” he penned.

Mr Sanjarani noted that the Senate was bestowed with the responsibility of “protecting the national and political harmony vis-a-vis the national and public interest”. Therefore, he continued, a 10-member committee was being formed for holding political dialogue under the joint convenorship of Dar and Shahzad. It will comprise four members each from the treasury and opposition benches.

“My office and the Senate Secretariat will remain available to assist/facilitate the committee in the performance of its functions for preserving the political system and for the betterment of the state,” he wrote.

He directed both the opposition and government to nominate the names of their members within two days.

A day ago, PTI Chairman Imran Khan constituted a three-member committee to hold talks with the PDM-led government over the latter’s decision to hold simultaneous elections in the country.

The committee consists of PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry, and Senator Ali Zafar. The move comes as the Supreme Court had ordered the political stakeholders to end political deadlock and submit a report by April 27.

The government, represented by federal law minister Azam Nazir Tarar and railway minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, responded positively and asked Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani to nominate five senators each from the government and the opposition to form a committee.

The government representatives also requested the chairman to provide space in the parliament to hold negotiations.