" No Progress, We're Still Where We Were on December 23." Irfan Siddiqui
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00:00Senator sahib, you have met Maulana Fazlur Rehman sahib
00:05and you are telling me that Maulana sahib has been asked to take confidence in this matter.
00:13Senator sahib, what was the conversation?
00:15What was Maulana sahib's reaction?
00:17Considering that he had to struggle a lot to get his bill passed after the 26th amendment,
00:23was there any discontent or lack of confidence in this matter?
00:27No, apart from political relations, I have a very good personal relationship with Maulana sahib.
00:38I have known him for many years.
00:40I can come to his house at any time with his permission.
00:44I came to know that he was unwell.
00:46The doctor had advised him to take rest.
00:49I thought it appropriate that I should go.
00:51Our time was set, so I went.
00:54We had a long session.
00:56Maulana sahib had good discussions with his PTI during the 26th amendment.
01:04He informed us of his experiences.
01:07Then he asked about our discussions.
01:12I informed him that the discussions were not going on.
01:15The discussions were held on 23rd.
01:17They were not progressing.
01:18The reason for this is that we are not getting the document which we have been promised.
01:23When the document arrives, we will proceed with the discussions.
01:26He appreciated this.
01:28He said that the democratic process should continue.
01:35Maulana sahib has ignored his past and all the suggestions.
01:46He had good discussions with the PTI.
01:51We were expecting Maulana sahib to join us.
01:56His team is a part of Izbe-e-Ikhtalaf.
01:58We have gathered many of our colleagues.
02:01People's Party, Ijaz-ul-Aqsa, Aleem Khan, BAP, MQM.
02:08Maybe they will also bring their allies of Izbe-e-Ikhtalaf.
02:12But they did not include Maulana's group in the discussions.
02:16They did not include Achakzai sahib.
02:18He was their main hope.
02:21Anyhow, I informed Maulana sahib about the information I had.
02:27Maulana sahib expressed his good wishes for the success of the discussions.
02:32Did Maulana sahib give any warning regarding this?
02:36Because you said that his previous experiences with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
02:41on the basis of discussions, he presented some facts.
02:45Did he give any warning or suggestion?
02:48No, Maulana sahib did not give any such warning.
02:53In our team and in PTI's team, there are seasoned people.
03:00There are experienced people.
03:02There are old parliamentarians like Asad Qaisar sahib.
03:05There are lawyers.
03:06In our team, there is former PM Raja Parvez Ashraf sahib.
03:11There is Naib Wazir Azam sahib.
03:13There is Ishaq Dar sahib.
03:14There is former Minister of Internal Affairs, Rana Sanaullah.
03:17So, there are experienced people on both sides.
03:19There is no need to give any warning.
03:21We want the matters to move forward with a good spirit.
03:24And I think that is what they also want.
03:26But the difference I feel is that they are more careful than necessary
03:32that something should not happen that their chairman should not face.
03:36So, if they want to proceed cautiously, then fine.
03:39This is their option.
03:41Moving forward cautiously is one thing.
03:44But moving forward slowly is another.
03:47Because they have announced a cut-off date of 31st January.
03:51Now, if this cut-off date moves slowly,
03:54then how will the matter move forward?
03:56How will the matter be solved by 31st January?
04:00Do you see this happening?
04:02What do you think?
04:05I think that one thing is to be careful,
04:10and the other is to move forward slowly.
04:15And the third thing is not to move forward.
04:18We are standing on 23rd December.
04:21After 23rd December, 2nd January has passed.
04:24But 2nd January was the continuity of the first meeting.
04:28Neither has there been a solid result, nor has there been a solid result in the second meeting.
04:32In the first meeting also, we have received requests and requests
04:36that the commitment that you have made has not come yet.
04:39It is not necessary for there to be a meeting for this.
04:42They can go to the speaker and tell us that this is our demand.
04:46The speaker will send it to our committee or to their committee.
04:50Till now, there has not been any development.
04:53There is not a single thing that has become a reason for delay.
04:57This is a strange thing.
04:59Those who have given the deadline,
05:01they are delaying it.
05:03We have not given any deadline.
05:05We want to move forward even before 31st January.
05:07And we also want that if the matter is resolved before 31st January, then it should be done.
05:12Now, it is up to them.
05:15If they bring their charter, then again it will come to our court.
05:20Then we will have to see what response we will give.
05:23You are saying that you want that the matter should be resolved before 31st January
05:27and that there should be some solution.
05:29Do you want it to be resolved before 20th January?
05:31Yes.
05:33Look, I am saying that for us,
05:36to postpone the matter for a particular day,
05:41we have not set a date that this date will come
05:45and if the result does not come, then the matter will end.
05:48This will not happen.
05:49If the matter is going on till that time
05:51and we are understanding that the results are coming out well
05:54and the matters are moving forward amicably,
05:58then we can go ahead for 1 day, 2 days, 10 days, 15 days.
06:01And if we keep our pace fast
06:04and there are no delays like there have been so far,
06:07then if the matters are resolved before 31st January,
06:10then there is no harm in that.
06:11I was discussing this with Senator after 20th January
06:13because Donald Trump has to take oath.
06:16And obviously that is a matter on which
06:18many leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
06:20are sitting off the camera.
06:25Look, we have no interest in which revolution is coming,
06:29or who is taking oath,
06:31or which government change is coming,
06:33which Jamaat is going, which is coming.
06:35We are least bothered.
06:37These are our matters.
06:39The political Jamaats here belong to Pakistan.
06:44They are playing their role in the Pakistani system.
06:48If they have an eye, then fine,
06:50they can make their preferences according to that.
06:53But we are not looking at anything like that.
06:56If PTI is looking that way
06:59and wants to give us a date according to that,
07:02then also we are ready.
07:04We are not looking for any excuse to
07:06turn a blind eye to negotiations
07:08or to take any policy against it.