Says no dialogue until he \u201caccepts defeat, rectifies behaviour\u201d, reiterates that elections will be held in Aug 2023
\n islamabad
\nInformation Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said the government will not negotiate with PTI Chairman Imran Khan until he \u201caccepts defeat\u201d and corrects his language and behaviour.
\nAurangzeb\u2019s remarks came after Imran, in a press conference earlier in the day, said he was open to \u201cevery kind of negotiation\u201d if it led to fair and transparent elections.
\nThe information minister, in her own press conference in Islamabad, was asked why the government had a problem accepting Imran\u2019s offer. To this, she replied: \u201cLet him (Imran) admit defeat first at least. He accepts defeat and changes his behaviour and his language then he will see we won\u2019t disappoint him.\u201d
\nAurangzeb said the PTI chairman would have to seek forgiveness and answer for his \u201clanguage, behaviour and the injustice done with the people of Pakistan for four years\u201d.
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t forget it, and every injustice, whether with the media or the people or parliamentarians or political opponents, was a loss to Pakistan,\u201d she added.
\nThe information minister criticised the PTI chairman for blowing off the then opposition\u2019s calls for negotiations on the economy, Covid-19, Financial Action Task Force and national security issues when he was in power himself.
\n\u201cYou won\u2019t be given an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance). We can\u2019t do negotiations with you if they\u2019re based on threats and dictation.\u201d
\nResponding to the PTI chief\u2019s claim that negotiations were not possible until a date was given in June for elections, Aurangzeb said: \u201cI\u2019m giving you the date of elections. Write it down: August 2023. Imprint it on your mind and heart.\u201d
\nShe said the government and its coalition allies would give the next election\u2019s date after completing their constitutional term.
\n\u201cListen with both ears. No one will fall in your threats, dictation, cursing or misbehaviour. Change your behaviour. Wait for elections. Learn to wait,\u201d she said.
\nAurangzeb told the PTI chairman to \u201cstay home\u201d if he wanted a dialogue over elections. \u201cIf you set out of your house with weapons, bullets, sticks and with an announcement of a bloody march then worse will happen than what happened before,\u201d she warned.
\nThe information minister called on Imran to desist from \u201cdividing the nation and spreading instability and chaos\u201d in society.
\nShe said dialogues happened when both the political parties had the intention as well as behaviour to engage, and not when there was \u201cfault, fakeness and hypocrisy\u201d.
\nAurangzeb told Imran to not initiate any organised social media campaign against the police. \u201cIf there is any movement against police on social media … then you will have to suffer the consequences,\u201d she added, further claiming that there would be \u201czero tolerance\u201d shown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Says no dialogue until he \u201caccepts defeat, rectifies behaviour\u201d, reiterates that elections will be held in Aug 2023 islamabad Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said the government will not negotiate with PTI Chairman Imran Khan until he \u201caccepts defeat\u201d and corrects his language and behaviour. Aurangzeb\u2019s remarks came after Imran, in a press conference […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7775,2833,6069,7876,352],"class_list":{"0":"post-263266","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-dictation","9":"tag-imran-khan","10":"tag-marriyum-aurangzeb","11":"tag-negotiations","12":"tag-threats"},"yoast_head":"\n