PTI repeatedly backtracked on draft agreement, says Sherry Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party leader and member of the government’s negotiating team that held talks with the opposition, Sherry Rehman said the government listened to all of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s concerns during negotiations but expressed disappointment over repeated changes to the draft agreement.



Talking to news along side Rana Sanaullah, Sherry Rehman said the draft was amended four times after the agreement was reached, adding that PTI had on several occasions initially agreed to the terms before later refusing to proceed with the understanding.

She said the government could not compromise on matters related to the prevailing security situation and stressed the importance of avoiding further unrest.

According to Rehman, the government had made extensive efforts over the past two days to prevent political confrontation and had played its role through Parliament. She said the government had also taken PTI’s concerns into consideration during the negotiations.

Rehman further said PTI had refused to reach an agreement on the proposed long march and other related matters. She added that differences remained over counterterrorism measures and coordination between the KP and federal governments.

She said the government had repeatedly reached agreements with the PTI during negotiations, only for the party to subsequently withdraw its consent.

Sherry Rehman also referred to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks, saying the government remained hopeful that the planned protests would not take place and that efforts to resolve the differences would continue.