The third round of talks between the government and the PTI to bring down political temperatures will take place on January 16 (Thursday).

A notice issued today from the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat said NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would preside over the session at 11:30am in Parliament House.

Since PTI founder Imran Khan’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into violence amid state repression.

Following the turmoil, Imran established a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also formed a committee with ruling coalition members.

The first meeting between the two sides took place on December 23, while the second one occurred on January 2. So far, the two sides have not made significant headway, as the PTI leadership sought frequent meetings with Imran to finalise their list of demands.

After meeting with Imran on Sunday, the PTI negotiation team was due to meet Sadiq today to present the party’s demands in writing to the speaker.

The meeting in prison, reportedly facilitated by Sadiq, came after days of complaints by the PTI that its team had not been allowed unmonitored access to Imran in jail.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also met the party chief in a one-on-one meeting before meeting him along with the delegation.

At the outset of their contacts, the PTI had put forth two demands: the release of political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 and Nov 26 crackdowns.

More to follow.