Crucial Pak govt-opposition talks on 'Azadi March'

Islamabad: Crucial talks between the government and the opposition over the JUI-F's October 31 'Azadi March', which will call for Prime Imran Khan's resignation, were set to begin on Friday.

Sources in the opposition told Dawn news that the government negotiating team headed by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak would hold talks with the 11-member Rehbar Committee, having representation of all major opposition parties, at the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader Akram Khan Durrani on Friday evening.

The sources said that Khattak, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and acting President Sadiq Sanjrani on Thursday formally contacted the opposition leaders seeking an appointment.

The opposition agreed to hold talks with the government team after Khan on Wednesday announced that he would allow the march to proceed as long as parameters laid out by courts for a lawful protest were not breached.

The decision was taken on after a team delegated to negotiate with the opposition presented its recommendations to the Prime Minister, Dawn news reported.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl had announced in June that his party had decided to hold the anti-government long march to Islamabad in the month of October in a bid to topple the government, which he said had come to power through "fake" elections.

Fazl had first set October 27 as the date for the long march, but later deferred it till October 31.