PM Shehbaz offers talks to jailed Imran Khan on resolving political disputes

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered talks to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to settle political disputes.

"If their [PTI] founder is facing troubles [in jail], then I reiterate: come, let's sit down and talk," said the premier while speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The premier said that there was a time in this house when politicians would severely criticise one another, but they would also stand with their rivals through thick and thin.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been at loggerheads for years, particularly after the February 8 elections, which Imran's party claims it had won.

Speaking about the 2018 elections, the prime minister said: "We joined the parliament despite the [rigged] polls. The sort of slogans that were raised during my first speech will always be remembered as a dark chapter in the history books."

"If someone is facing any injustice, then I believe that the scales of justice should be in favour of those [being victimised], there is no difference over it — whether it be any politician or anyone from any walk of life."

The PM lamented that he had once again, while he was in the opposition, proposed Imran to sit on the talking table but such slogans were raised again. "So who is responsible for this bitterness [between politicians]. We don't even shake hands now," he expressed.

He also mentioned how Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah were treated during their time in jail.

PTI to talk once Imran, others are out of jail: Ayub

In response to the prime minister's comments, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub reiterated that the PTI would talk with the "Form-47" government once its founder and other incarcerated workers and leaders were out of jail.

"This should be in your minds: you torture our workers, you've kept our lady workers in prison vans at 45°C. My prime minister Imran Khan was kept in a death cell, there's an oven-like environment over there," he said, amid sloganeering from the treasury benches.

While there was a ruckus, Ayub said that the house's proceedings could only continue if the government members respected their opposition colleagues.

To the premier's request for talks, he said: "Reconciliation will take place when you realise the abuse of Yasmin Rashid, Mehmood ur Rasheed, and Hasan Niazi."

As the premier said that he faced the worst conditions, Ayub claimed that when former premier Nawaz Sharif was in prison, he had air conditioners installed in his jail cell.