ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Senator ShibliFaraz hinted the deadline for talks with the government could be extended beyond January 31, if a significant headway was made.

Speaking in a private TV programme, he said though there were still 20 days left in the deadline and by then the party would have a clear idea in what direction the talks were moving. The talks time could be extended beyond January 31, not being a big deal, he added. ShibliFaraz, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Senate, noted that if positive progress was made in talks, then a short extension in deadline would not prove to be a major challenge.

Meanwhile, the next round of talks between negotiating teams of the government and PTI is still uncertain as National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said none of sides had so far approached him in this connection.

“Next round of talks can be arranged on a notice of a day or two whenever two sides approach me,” he said adding that it was not his responsibility to arrange a meeting of the PTI leaders with the party founder.

In a statement, he said the government and allies could decide whether the meeting should take place or not. He said he had made it clear to Asad Qaiser during a telephonic talk on January 4 that demand of the PTI leadership had been conveyed to the government. “The PTI leaders can directly contact PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah and others in the government,” he added.

The PTI leadership had already given a cut-off date for talks, setting conditions for release of Imran Khan and other PTI leaders and formation of judicial commissions on May 9 and November 26 incidents.

Separately, PTI leader Senator Barrister Ali Zafar explained that the party founder Imran Khan had said that he would not agree to a deal or relief, rather he would fight a legal battle.