The PTI will not engage in negotiations with the government for an indefinite period. He set January 31 of the following year as the deadline for the process.

“The PTI is giving the government until the end of January to conclude the dialogue aimed at reducing political tensions. The party’s negotiating team will formally inform the government committee about this deadline during our meeting on January 2,” Sahibzada said on Thursday Hamid Raza.

Raza, the spokesperson of the PTI negotiating team, was speaking to the media after meeting party founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi along with Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser.

According to Raza, Imran is ready to forgive all “atrocities” committed by the authorities. However, he did not withdraw his appeal to overseas Pakistanis not to send money into the country.

The SIC chief, who is not officially a member of the PTI, reiterated the party’s demands for the formation of judicial commissions to investigate the incidents of May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 and for the release of all political prisoners, including PTI founder Imran Khan.

“We categorically reject any responsibility for the events of May 9,” Raza said, demanding a judicial investigation by senior judges of the Supreme Court to establish responsibilities.

On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted across the country when the paramilitary Rangers arrested Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with a corruption case.

He alleged that on November 26, authorities fired live ammunition at PTI supporters who were staging a protest march in Islamabad, leaving 13 people dead, 64 injured by bullets and 150 to 200 people missing.

“It was an attack on the people and democracy,” Raza said, calling for a transparent investigation into the violence. He held government authorities responsible for ordering the alleged use of force against peaceful protesters.

Elaborating on the party’s second demand, he said the PTI wants the release of all its workers and leaders, including Imran Khan. He, however, clarified that Imran’s release should not be part of a deal but a legal process. “Imran Khan was acquitted by the courts but the government has filed fresh cases,” he said.

Raza denounced the systematic victimization of the PTI, comparing it to the treatment meted out to political parties during the 1971 crisis. He alleged that PTI members were subjected to torture and their civil and human rights were “suspended”.

Despite the persecution, Raza said, Imran Khan is ready to forgive the violence against him and urged resolution of political grievances through constructive dialogue.

He claimed that PTI-backed candidates who emerged victorious in the February 8 elections faced hurdles in joining political parties registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. To circumvent these challenges, Imran Khan aligned PTI-backed candidates with the SIC, which remains a key ally of the PTI.

He said Imran Khan had expressed confidence in all legislators, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The former prime minister also condemned the airstrikes in Afghanistan, saying Pakistan should resolve all issues with the neighboring country through dialogue.