Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that talks with PTI have ended, adding that it had already been made clear that there would be no negotiations once the long march began. He said those participating in the long march would not be spared and that the government would also go to KP.
During a press conference in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been briefed on the status of the negotiations. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister tried to sabotage the talks, adding that after the draft was finalised, Sohail Afridi said they would not accept it.
Mohsin Naqvi said he took the final agreement to the president and also briefed the prime minister. He said Sohail Afridi later made changes to the final agreement as well. He said Barrister Gohar, Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and Aamir Dogar negotiated in good faith, adding that if Sohail Afridi had to make all the decisions, he should have participated in the negotiations.
The interior minister said that if he had known the KP government would veto the agreement, they would not have held negotiations. He alleged that terrorists were receiving support somewhere in KP. He said the issue was not political but related to terrorism, adding that the government wanted the KP government to stand with them against terrorism.
He said Asad Qaiser had stated that they were with Pakistan on all points, after which they requested that the KP government also be taken on board. He said the KP chief minister provided feedback and a mandate and stated that they were with them. He added that two agreements were to be reached, one with opposition parties and another related to terrorism.
Mohsin Naqvi said that giving positions to incompetent people would lead to such consequences. He said the government had not asked PTI to postpone the long march and reiterated that talks with PTI had ended, as it had been made clear that there would be no negotiations once the long march started.
He said the government would not allow another May 9 under any circumstances. Referring to Sohail Afridi, he said giving positions to incompetent people would produce such results. He held Sohail Afridi solely responsible for the failure of the negotiations and said that if even one life was lost, Sohail Afridi would be responsible. He said a war was being fought in the province while the KP chief minister was making statements against the army.
Mohsin Naqvi said anyone coming to Islamabad would be committing contempt of court. He said the practice of repeatedly storming Islamabad would be brought to an end and those participating in the long march would not be spared. He added that the government would also go to KP and that decisions taken by the president and prime minister would now be implemented.
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