As the third round of talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ultimately ending in a stalemate on Saturday despite showing the most progress, supporters of PTI and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) continued their sit-in at D-Chowk in front of Parliament House.
The PTI on Saturday proposed that the prime minister resign for a period of 30 days during which a judicial commission works ‘independently’ to determine if the May 2013 elections were transparent. This demand though was rejected by the government, who said they had accepted almost all the other demands of the PTI.
The PTI has announced it will recommence proceedings of its sit-in at 8pm on Sunday evening.
Separately, prime minister Nawaz Sharif has held talks with former president Asif Ali Zardari in Raiwind to seek a way out of the impasse. Read our report of that meeting, and Zardari’s subsequent press conference here.
Earlier, PAT, PTI protesters march into the Red Zone three days after their sit-ins began near Aabpara Chowk, read our coverage of march here.
For our coverage of the sit-ins on August 22 here, August 20 and 21, visit here.
Read our coverage of PTI’s Azadi March and the Inqilab March here.
August 23 12:25am
Imran Khan announces that he wants his ‘Naya Pakistan’ to be formed quickly, so that he can get married.
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August 23 12:17am
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, who is part of the government’s negotiating committee, says at the third round of talks broke off because of PTI’s ‘illogical demand’ of the premier resigning, though the government, the federal cabinet can stay.
He added that the PTI had accepted transparent investigation by Supreme Court judges into the May 2013 election. Mechanism on electoral reforms was also agreed.
Today PTI broke negotiations on a very illogical demand. According to them, PMLN government can stay, cabinet can… http://t.co/kTmkYkIHFh
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) August 23, 2014
August 23, 11:33pm
The Pakistan Peoples Party’s Farhatullah Babar has said that former president Asif Ali Zardari will hold a meeting with CEC members at the Bilawal House in Karachi on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, Zardari is expected to take stock of the current situation in the country. He will also brief party members on his meetings with political leaders in Lahore on Saturday and contact with other political forces to defuse the current political situation.
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August 23, 9:25pm
Mobile phone signals in the Red Zone have been discontinued, Express News reports