Before it’s too late: Another effort afoot for PTI-govt dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Before it is too late, another effort is being made to hold dialogue between the government and Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

An informed source said that the effort is to make the two sides sit, talk and settle their political disputes amicably without causing any further political and economic instability in the country. A PTI source confirmed that engagement has again been established between the two sides but, he said, this is premature to say anything about it. PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry was asked about this development but he did not respond.

For unexplained reasons Imran Khan on Monday delayed the resumption of his long march for two days. According to the last announcement of the PTI, the long march will now be resumed from Wazirabad on Thursday. It is believed that this delay is connected with behind the scene re-engagement between the coalition government and the PTI.

Imran Khan, though wants his demand of early election met at the earliest, is seen as the major hurdle for the dialogue process. The PTI chairman is continuously pressing the military establishment to get him early elections and remove the present coalition government.

Of late, his attack on the military establishment became lethal which is seen as Khan’s tactics to pressurise the institutions to manage early elections for him. The military establishment has repeatedly said that it would not interfere in political affairs and would stay apolitical.

At the most, the military establishment sources have been saying during the recent months that they can only play the role of a facilitator. Political decisions, these sources insist, have to be taken by the political parties themselves. In case Imran Khan wants early elections, the PTI will have to engage with the government.

There have been few engagements between the two sides before but they remained inconclusive. Khan wants early elections but the PDM’s top leadership insists that it would complete its term and the next elections are only possibly in October or November next year.

The years’ long rigidity of Imran Khan not to interact with his political opponents has also turned the PDM top leaders Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman inflexible. These leaders now also rule out talks with Khan. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is flexible and he has already said that for the interest of the country he can engage with the PTI chief.

Recently, the prime minister said that he was approached by Khan for talks. Khan, however, said why he would talk with the prime minister, who is powerless. Shehbaz recently said that he had snubbed an offer by Khan suggesting consensus over the appointment of a new army chief.

Shehbaz said that the offer was rejected as it is the prerogative of the prime minister to make topmost appointments in the military. Later, Khan said in public that what power Shehbaz had that he (Khan) would approach him for talks. He added that he had talked to and was still talking to those, whom, he alleged, Shehbaz used to visit for meetings in the boot of his vehicle.