Islamabad ; Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz reiterated for dialogue between the government and the opposition during today’s session of the National Assembly.
He stated that Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the House, had repeatedly invited the opposition to hold talks. “The Federal Minister for Law and Justice has also extended similar invitations on multiple occasions,” the Speaker remarked.
“I, as Speaker of the National Assembly, am ready to facilitate dialogue between the government and the opposition,” said Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, emphasizing that “when both sides sit together, solutions will emerge.”
He added, “Even if no outcome is achieved on the first day, continued dialogue will eventually lead to positive results. It is my responsibility to provide a platform for both sides to engage in talks.”
Responding to remarks made by MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, “When your side proposed the formation of a negotiation committee, you did not approach me. The Prime Minister, demonstrating magnanimity, constituted a high-level negotiation committee comprising all coalition partners.”
“The committee held three meetings, and it was not the government but the opposition that boycotted the process,” he added. “The process of dialogue must continue it will yield better outcomes. My role is to facilitate; the decision ultimately lies with you.”
He also stated, “I have defeated your leader twice in elections. In the recent election, not a single petition was filed against me neither challenging my victory nor the results from my constituency. How, then, can it be said that we are not the true representatives of the people?”
He urged the opposition to accept his invitation for talks, stressing that “constructive engagement will bring solutions, while confrontation will lead nowhere.”
Speaker Sardar Ayaz said, “You advocate for dialogue with India, Afghanistan, and Iran yet that too requires sitting together and talking. Let us begin by talking here, within our own House.”
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
