Top religious scholar’s effort for IK-establishment rapprochement didn’t work

ISLAMABAD: One of the top religious scholars of the country had made an effort for a rapprochement between the military establishment and Imran Khan but it did not work.

An informed source said that the effort was made before the Feb 8 elections. However, it failed. The source did not disclose the name of the scholar.

Against the backdrop of what Imran Khan has been alleging against the military, its top commanders and even the incumbent and the last army chiefs ever since his ouster from government in April 2022, there is now a serious challenge of credibility for the jailed PTI founder chairman. Who will trust him? Who will guarantee that Imran Khan will become responsible and avoid levelling allegations of serious nature against others including military establishment without evidence?

Khan, during the last two years, has been pursuing a two-pronged policy of attacking the military establishment and top generals and at the same time pressing them to remove his opponents’ government to pave the way for his return into power.

Even after May 9 attacks and following Feb 8 elections, Khan continues with his direct attacks on the incumbent army chief. Interestingly, while doing so he also seeks dialogue with General Asim Munir and the establishment under him.

The army spokesman, after the February 8 elections, has however clearly told the media in a press conference that the military will not hold any dialogue with the PTI. The spokesman was asked if there was a possibility of any dialogue with PTI to which he had replied: “If some political mindset, leader or clique attacks its own army, causes rifts between the army and its people, insults the nation’s martyrs and issues threats and hatches propaganda, there can be no dialogue with them.”

The military spokesman added, “There is only one way back for such anarchists that it (PTI) asks for an earnest apology in front of the nation and promises that it will forgo politics of hate and adopt constructive (style of) politics. In any case, such dialogue should take place among political parties. It is not appropriate for the army to be involved.” Eversince the appointment of the incumbent army chief, the PTI lost all his contacts within the military establishment. Imran Khan and the PTI have been frustratingly trying to hold dialogue with the military establishment while using the Presidency during Dr Arif Alvi’s term and through retired generals, who were sympathisers of Khan, but they got no response from the other side. Within the PTI, which is presently embroiled in an infighting, there are many who agree that Imran Khan’s policy of attacking the military establishment and levelling all sorts of allegations against top military generals has done no good to the party. Instead, it is said, such a policy caused more problems for the PTI and Imran Khan himself, who at the same time is also desirous of talking to the military establishment only.