PM Shehbaz offers talks to Imran Khan's party to ease political tension

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday offered talks to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to ease political tension in the country, days after the party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each in a corruption case.

Shehbaz made the offer while presiding over a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad after recent overtures by the opposition leaders.

These days, PTI and its allies are talking about dialogue. I have repeatedly stated in the National Assembly that if the PTI is serious about negotiations, the government is equally prepared, the prime minister said.

Shehbaz also said that talks could only move forward if they focused on legitimate issues and were free of blackmailing". He stressed that political harmony among all parties was essential for Pakistan's development and prosperity.

His offer comes days after the opposition alliance - Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) - of which PTI is a part, said that its door to dialogue was open.

The issue of talks between the opposition, mainly the PTI, and the government has been in the news, but no concrete steps have been taken by any side to kick-start the process.

Last year in December, the PTI and government officials started a dialogue, but the process was stalled on issues like the formation of two judicial commissions to probe the protests of May 9, 2023 and Nov 26, 2024, and the release of PTI prisoners.

The offer for talks comes ahead of anticipated protests by Khan's supporters in the coming days.

Khan had recently called for countrywide demonstrations following his conviction in a corruption case.

The ongoing incarceration of Khan and critical remarks from his party leaders have contributed to an atmosphere of uncertainty.

Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022.

Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case.