Islamabad, August 7, 2026: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday dismissed media reports suggesting that he had proposed the resumption of dialogue between the government and the opposition, clarifying that no such discussion took place during his recent meeting with Opposition leader Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar.
In a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the Speaker said his meeting with Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, attended by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, was held solely to discuss matters related to the upcoming session of the National Assembly.
He categorically stated that neither he nor anyone else present discussed or proposed the resumption of negotiations between the treasury and opposition benches during the meeting.
Speaking informally to reporters, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the only matter he raised with the opposition was the submission of names of opposition members who would participate in the Independence Day ceremony.
“Apart from this, there was no other conversation,” he clarified.
The Speaker added that if Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary and Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar had discussed political negotiations separately, he had no knowledge of such a conversation.
Recalling his previous efforts to bridge political differences, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said he had repeatedly tried to facilitate dialogue between the government and the opposition but had eventually stopped extending invitations.
“I have become tired of extending invitations for negotiations,” he remarked.
He also noted that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had on several occasions invited the opposition to engage in dialogue on the floor of Parliament.
Emphasizing the importance of political engagement, the Speaker said all national issues could ultimately be resolved through dialogue and consensus, but meaningful negotiations required face-to-face discussions rather than public statements made through the media.
“Dialogue requires sitting together at the table,” he observed.
Referring to the parliamentary committee previously formed to facilitate political dialogue, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the opposition members whose demands had led to its creation had never approached him to seek its restoration.
Commenting on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Speaker said the party had selected its Leader of the Opposition with the expectation that he would engage in negotiations, but suggested that he may not have been given the authority to do so.
Responding to a question regarding staff attached to PTI chairpersons of standing committees, he said the National Assembly Secretariat would reassign the staff once the respective committee chairpersons relinquished them.
The Speaker reiterated that he remained willing to meet the Leader of the Opposition, saying that if the opposition leader did not wish to meet in the Speaker’s chamber, a meeting could instead be held in a committee room, adding that he would even vacate his own office to facilitate such an interaction.
However, he maintained that the real obstacle was the opposition’s unwillingness to engage in negotiations.
“The real issue is that they do not want to negotiate,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq reaffirmed that Parliament remains the appropriate constitutional forum for resolving political differences through dialogue, mutual consultation and meaningful democratic engagement.
