Islamabad, November 28, 2025: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq once again extended an overture for dialogue to the opposition on Friday, reaffirming that political disputes must be resolved through talks. His latest gesture came during a meeting with parliamentarians who visited him after the NA session was adjourned due to a lack of quorum.
According to a handout issued by the NA Secretariat, the delegation comprised lawmakers from both houses, including Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Senator Faisal Javed, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and MNAs Iqbal Afridi, Atif Khan, Sardar Latif Khosa and Jamal Ahsan Khan.
In the meeting, Sadiq emphasised the importance of maintaining cordial relationships beyond political differences.
“Our bond of brotherhood and mutual respect is greater than politics. I have been in contact with you brothers since 2014. Politics does not last a lifetime — it ends eventually,” the speaker said, according to the handout.
He added that parliamentarians should cultivate ties “that last throughout life” and reiterated that dialogue remains the only sustainable way to resolve disputes.
During the meeting, PTI chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan raised the issue of the incarcerated party founder Imran Khan’s family not being allowed to meet him. The statement said opposition lawmakers “appreciated” Sadiq’s continued efforts to bridge the gap between the government and the PTI.
Talks between the government and the PTI have been on the national agenda since last year amid deepening political tensions. While both sides-initiated dialogue in late December in an attempt to reduce friction, negotiations stalled over key demands:
- the formation of two judicial commissions to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and Nov 26, 2024
- the release of PTI workers and leaders in custody
The Shehbaz-led government renewed its dialogue offer in February, with Speaker Sadiq insisting the option had “never been taken off the table.” owever, PTI swiftly rejected the offer, arguing that talks were impossible amid what it termed an intensifying crackdown on party members. Asad Qaiser claimed that raids were being conducted nationwide and dozens of activists had been arrested.
In August, government ministers and the NA speaker reiterated the call for talks during a debate on the Kashmir issue. PTI lawmakers welcomed the offer but questioned whether the government possessed the authority to negotiate meaningfully.
More recently, on November 13, Sadiq renewed his offer yet again, even as PTI members staged protests in the NA during the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Despite repeated overtures from the government side, the gulf between the ruling coalition and the PTI remains wide — with no substantive breakthrough yet in sight.
