Pak govt: Imran Khan's PTI will be 'ultimate loser' if talks on polls fail

Dismissing Imran Khan's demand that National Assembly be dissolved by May 14 for a successful outcome of talks as "impracticable", Pakistan's ruling coalition has warned former premier that his party will be "ultimate loser" if parleys failed as polls can be delayed for a year.

Ahe of third round of talks between Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N)-led federal coalition and PTI scheduled for Tuesday, government told Khan that he cant hold talks at gunpoint.

"We want to tell Imran Khan that he cant hold talks at gunpoint. first condition of talks is, re are pre-conditions. Khan is so desperate that he wants his way or highway,” PML-N Secretary General and Federal Minister for Development Ahsan Iqbal was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

federal coalition termed Khan's ultimatum "impracticable" and asked him to be more flexible for success of this dialogue between government and opposition, report said on Monday.

"If talks fail, ultimate loser will be PTI as re is a provision for delaying elections for a year under Constitution. Imran Khan has warned of creating a law and order situation in country (if polls are t held this July) and in such a scenario, elections will be delayed for ar year,” Iqbal said on Sunday.

federal coalition parties sat with PTI with an ‘open mind’, but Khan continued to ask for dissolution of assemblies (National, Sindh and Balochistan) by May 14,  he said, ding that demand is t acceptable to federal coalition.

" people of Sindh and Balochistan cant be punished for folly of Imran Khan who dissolved Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies to force elections…under patron of his ‘handlers’ in institutions,” minister said, ding that Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party would have to agree on a code of conduct for polls, besides same-day elections.

When asked if elections would be held in Punjab in May in light of Supreme Court’s order in case of breakthrough in parleys, minister said: “We clearly see politics behind this apex court’s verdict.” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asked what will be result of negotiations with PTI as y are setting conditions.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which pushed PML-N to hold parleys with PTI on elections, however, is still optimistic.

“I hope that dissolution of assemblies by May 14 is a proposal and t a condition set by Khan. This suggestion is t viable. Who will present budget if National Assembly is dissolved in May?" asked senior PPP senior leer and PM’s special assistant Qamar Zaman Kaira.

"It cant be left to caretaker setup to negotiate with IMF and present budget (for upcoming financial year),” he said.

Kaira said despite such a suggestion, PPP believed better sense would prevail and that se talks would t end up in failure.

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, who recently called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Imran Khan to push m for a consensus on polls, said: “We are hopeful for a breakthrough in dialogue and that both federal coalition and PTI will t he for a delock.” PTI has also shown optimism that its parleys with government will succeed, report said.

“PTI wants success of talks with government, but it has formulated a strategy in case of failure. It is t possible for PTI to sit silently if Constitution is considered as a piece of trash and public as insects,” PTI senior leer Faw Chaudhry said in a tweet.

Chaudhry also called on people to prepare for a ‘movement’.

“ movement is starting tomorrow (Monday) with rallies in Lahore, Islamab, and Peshawar, culminating in a historic long march,” he said.

Supreme Court has asked government and PTI to sit toger for talks. apex court h alrey given May 14 as date for elections in Punjab and two sides should agree sooner on a new date to postpone Punjab polls.

main opposition party PTI is determined to press for polls in provincial legislatures, but government maintains its stance on simultaneous elections across country.

National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year.

According to Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after dissolution of lower house. This means that election must be held by mid-October. last general election was held in July 2018.

PTI chief Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a -confidence vote in his leership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.

Khan, who came to power in 2018, is only Pakistani Prime Minister to be ousted in a -confidence vote in Parliament.