Pak oppn backs out from talks with govt

Islamabad, Jan 26 The Pakistan opposition backed out from a scheduled meeting with the Imran Khan-led government, which was expected to lower the current rife between the two sides, but instead widened the gap, a media report said on Tuesday.

The meeting was slated to take place on Monday between opposition leaders and a three-member government delegation, the Dawn news report said.

The decision came after a meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Parliament House.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Naveed Qamar told Dawn news that the opposition did not go for the talks as the PML-N was busy in its parliamentary party meeting.

"We cannot meet the government without PML-N," he added.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan also told Dawn news that the government planned to invite the opposition for another round of talks in the coming days.

( With inputs from IANS )