Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza said on Sunday that the opposition’s negotiation committee was prepared for a third round of talks with the government but expected concrete progress on their demand for a judicial commission ahead of the meeting.

Talks between the government and the PTI commenced in the last week of December to bring down political temperatures, but despite weeks of negotiations, the dialogue process has hardly moved forward on major issues — the formation of a judicial commission and the release of PTI prisoners.

Claim and counter-claim between the government and the opposition continued on Saturday despite the initiation of dialogue after months of deadlock, with the PML-N-led coalition and the PTI accusing each other of derailing negotiation and lacking seriousness.

Speaking to the media after meeting Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, flanked by PTI leaders Omer Ayub and Asad Qaiser, the SIC chairman said the PTI’s negotiation committee would inform the government that it was ready for another session of talks.

He, however, added that the government would be urged to make progress on the opposition’s demand for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26.

“Even after several weeks, there has been no progress in the negotiations,” he said.

“You would have to show progress in the third meeting,” he said, adding that they would talk about the “nitty gritties” of the judicial commission in the meeting.

incarceration last year based on several cases, his party’s relationship with the government, as well as the establishment, has turned exceedingly sour. The PTI has held several protests over the last year, most of which escalated into violence after facing state repression.

Following the PTI’s ‘Final Call’ power show last month, tensions escalated as there were renewed calls to ban the party and task forces formed against an alleged “malicious campaign” as the PTI claimed a dozen deaths of its supporters, which the government officially denies.

However, after Imran formed a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone” and his lawmakers had a softened stance in the parliament, the government constituted its own committee comprising ruling coalition members.

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