ISLAMABAD: Confi­r­ming that they are ready to hold talks with the government, an opposition leader claimed on Tuesday the alliance had sought a ‘neutral venue’ for the proposed dialogue.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, chief of the PTI-allied Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), confirmed that the government had invited opposition leaders for talks at the PM’s Office. However, he maintained that they have sought to hold the meeting in Parliament House.

When asked by host Nadir Guramani about rec­e­nt statements made by min­­­isters — such as Tariq Fazal Chaudhry — about an offer for talks extended to the PTI-led opposition, Abbas said that while they were willing to sit with the prime minister and any other ministers, they did not want to attend any meetings held at the PM’s Office or the National Assembly speaker’s chambers.

However, he said, they were ready to sit with the prime minister and any other government representatives in the Constitution Room of Parliament House, adding that they were awaiting the government’s response to their counter-offer.

“We believe that if we go for a collision course, God forbid, some serious harm could befall the country,” he said, adding that the opposition wanted an amicable solution to be found through negotiations “If the doors of talks, judicial forums and election are all closed on us, then what are we left with?”

Abbas also announced plans to hold countrywide demonstrations on the anniversary of PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest. Abbas said that the onus of mobilising street power rests on KP CM Sohail Afridi.

Crediting Imran’s sisters with keeping the issue of his continued detention alive, he recalled the raid to nab former Venezuelan ruler Nicholas Maduro, saying that his case had been all but forgotten. Refusing to comment on criticism levelled at Aleema Khan from within the party, he hailed Imran’s sisters for repeatedly calling attention to his incarceration.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026