Chasing 2018

On Monday, ISPR gave a rather categorical ‘no’ to any talk that the military’s views on May 9 had changed. In a press conference, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said that the military’s stance on May 9 violent protests remains unchanged and those involved in the riots must be brought to book. This was taken by some observers as somewhat of a response to the recent rumours that there may be some contact between PTI founder Imran Khan and the establishment. While there has been virtual silence from the establishment regarding any such talks, there is a feeling that the PTI has been insistent on talking to the establishment because it wants a reversal of fortunes back to the 2018 era. This is strange since the party has been decrying ‘institutional interference’ ever since it was ousted from power. What does Imran want to achieve with these talks, ask political analysts, if not to somehow have this government going in an unconstitutional manner and then being facilitated for fresh elections much like in 2018. However, when the signs show that this wish may not be granted, the PTI ups the ante online.

Any leader or party that is interested in addressing the question of civil-military imbalance in the country or wants civilian supremacy knows that the real way to do it is through talks with other political parties. It can never be through talks with any institution that is unelected and unrepresentative of the people. It is always political parties that find a way through these issues despite their internal or political differences with each other. Had Imran been interested in civilian supremacy, he would have made sure his party sat with his opponents despite their past differences and worked a way out of this hybrid system. But it is quite apparent that the PTI is just not interested in doing that.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai would have been the perfect choice to talk to the political class but the utter confusion regarding this whole yes-talks-no-talks fiasco has led to has made it all rather messy. PPP leaders have been on the record as saying that a grand political dialogue is the only way forward. The government itself has made offers of a dialogue to the PTI many times but the opposition party has refused these offers. When the PTI says that we will only talk to those in power as this government has no power itself, it is basically admitting that there is a hybrid in place and civilians have no power. Then how will that change if the PTI also comes to power under exactly the same conditions? If civilians engage with each other, only then can they talk about really and truly democratizing the whole system. But this cannot happen if one party decides it will sit democracy out.