No headway in govt-opposition talks.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- Talks between the government and the opposition on latter's planned long march ended without reaching an accord on Friday night as the deadlock persisted between the two sides over venue of the protest.

The government's seven-member negotiation committee, headed by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, and the opposition's 11-member Rehbar Committee held two rounds of talks to find a solution to the tensions arising out of 'Azadi March', seeking resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and fresh elections.

The march, scheduled to start on October 27 (tomorrow), will enter the federal capital on October 31.

'We could not reach any consensus and will continue the talks,' said Khattak after the end of second round of negotiations, without giving the next date for another sitting.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader and convener of the Rehbar Committee Akram Durrani said on the occasion that they were hoping for the positive outcome and talks would continue. In the first round of more than two hours long talks, both sides refused to budge from their positions on venue of the protest as the government wanted that the opposition should hold its October 31 protest rally at Parade Ground, while the opposition insisted on holding its gathering at the famous D Chowk, few meters from the Parliament House.

The sources confirmed to The Nation that the opposition had also suggested to the government to cordon off the Red Zone and D-Chowk areas, and allow their protest rally at some other place on the Jinnah Avenue; the main artery of the capital, leading to the Parliament House. In response the government sought some time from the opposition in order to discuss the proposal with the PM.

At the end of the first round of talks that were held at Akram Durrani's residence, he (Durrani), in a joint press talk, said that the government had sought some time to take Prime Minister Imran Khan and the top government leadership into confidence over demands of the opposition, and that the talks would resume after a break.

Khattak said that initial talks were held in a cordial environment as both...