Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch on Friday refuted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Khan’s claims that his party was “under pressure” and their failed plans to meet in Islamabad for government formation talks after 8 .general election.
After the polls, the two parties reportedly considered joining hands with successful PTI independent candidates who want to join other parties in parliament to jointly form a government in the provinces and at the Center where they could have a majority of MPs.
However, Gohar claimed that JI was under “pressure” not to talk to PTI on the said matter and the party leadership is avoiding meetings with him.
The PTI lawmaker’s comment came during his appearance on Geo News’ ‘Capital Talk’ in which he said that JI leaders did not attend the meeting that was decided to be held between him, Liaquat Baloch and other leaders of both parties.
However, in a video released by JI, Baloch said, “There was no pressure on us and JI does not take decisions under pressure.”
After several failed attempts to meet Gohar and the PTI’s plans to talk only about government formation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the JI veteran claimed that his party’s central majlis-e-shura felt it right to welcome any decision taken by the PTI as there were differences among its leadership in issues of dispute.
The politician added that JI absolutely wants to facilitate PTI across the country and that the party will again consult on the new proposal shared by PTI.
Despite Gohar’s claim, the senior politician shared his willingness to meet the PTI chief. “Insha’Allah, I would personally meet Barrister Gohar and we want contacts between opposition parties to increase.
He added that there was no room for any misunderstanding between the opposition parties that could benefit the “establishment and anti-opposition” powers.
At the beginning of the video, Baloch said that the attitude shared by Barrister Gohar Khan was not entirely true.
“The truth is that KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur Had contacted JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq after the February 8 elections and sought JI’s support in providing a platform for PTI-backed independent candidates.”
He added that the party had conducted [internal] consultations at the request of Gandapur and resulted in the formation of a committee which decided to meet in Islamabad on February 12.
It was decided that the meeting would be held at 4 pm and Barrister Gohar would arrive with his team, Baloch said.
“Professor Ibrahim, Inayatullah, others and I were present at Mian Aslam’s house. After 4:00 pm we were informed that he would arrive at 6:30 pm, then at 6:30 pm, then at 7:30 pm and then around 9:00 pm his secretary through a phone call, he said that the meeting could not be held due to some engagements,” the politician revealed.
Baloch continued that his party had informed CM Gandapur and Azam Swati about the development.
“Late at night, Azam Swati admits that it was not right, and Advocate Gohar will arrive tomorrow. I told him to inform me of the time so that I can get home to Mian Aslam.”
However, the politician added that he did not receive any “confirmation or communication” nor was he informed at 10 am by advocate Gohar, but he arrived at the time mentioned above.
“Our former parliamentary leader Sahibzada Tariqullah sahib was also present and he was informed by Azam Swati. After that I spoke to advocate Gohar over phone and told him that I can reach in half an hour or 40 minutes,” he said.
Baloch added that Gohar refused saying he had to meet PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail and said he would get back to him after the meeting. “But contact never happened.
On the other hand, the PTI chief said, “I spoke to Liaquat Baloch sahib and went to Mian Aslam’s house to meet him after he asked me to reach there. I went to his house at the appointed time, the lights were on, everything was there, but it was present. The guest wasn’t there either.”
Gohar said he reached there at 10 pm on the day the meeting was decided but neither of the two politicians were there and was later informed by them that they were an hour away.
“We reached out to them again and I spoke to him to tell him that we want to move forward [with JI],” he said, adding that the party was under so much pressure that they “backed out” of negotiations.
He insisted that it was they and not the PTI who backed out.
“Liaquat Baloch sahib was supposed to meet me, we fixed the time. But when I understood that he was avoiding me, I called him myself and told him that I will come as he is a senior MP.”
Gohar added that it was then decided that the meeting would take place at Mian Aslam’s house.
“One of their former MNAs from Dir arrived and even he did not know they were not there.
Baloch also said that during this time Amir Dogar and Azam Swati were in touch and talks continued with JI. “They said they will discuss something with JI in relation to the KP government.
This happened when Siraj-ul-Haq sahib resigned as JI chief, he said, adding that the party then held a central majlis-e-shura meeting which also included discussions on contact with PTI along with the situation in the country.
