Backchannel talks no threat to Shehbaz govt

ISLAMABAD: The backchannel talks are no threat to the Shehbaz Sharif government.

Those PTI leaders, who are involved in these talks or are in knowledge of what is going on behind the scene, even know that the focus of these interactions is not the change of the government.

Future of these backchannel talks between the establishment and PTI, however, squarely depends on the behaviour of Imran Khan and his party’s overseas chapters and social media.

Informed sources said that the purpose of these talks is to ensure political stability, which on the one hand will ensure the continuity of the present system and, on the other hand, it will create political space for the PTI.

The News on Thursday broke the story of a backchannel meeting of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur with three very important persons representing the “government”. The News did not identify these “very important persons” but jailed PTI founder chairman Imran Khan told reporters after his meeting with Barrister Gohar that Gohar and Ali had met the Army Chief General Asim Munir.

Imran Khan is reportedly very happy with this development. However, the continuation of these backchannel talks mainly depends on what Imran Khan, his social media and overseas PTI supporters do in the days to come.

It is believed that Barrister Gohar, while briefing Imran Khan about KP CM and his meeting with the army chief, might have told the jailed leader of the restraint that he and his party need to show to bring an end to the politics of agitation and confrontation with the institutions.

Most PTI leaders, who saw all types of problems during the last couple of years because of its own politics of violence and agitation and confrontation with institutions, now want a break from the kind of difficulties, including FIRs and court cases they are faced with.

Within the PTI, there has been reservation of many regarding Imran Khan and the party’s social media policy of attacking the institution of army but such voices were never heard before. Now Imran Khan has to decide whether he wants to continue with the last two and a half years’ policy of agitation and confrontation or to opt for reconciliation.

Now all eyes are set on Imran Khan’s X account (formerly Twitter’s account) and the party’s social media. A PTI leader, on condition of not being named, told this correspondent that he now expects from Imran Khan to avoid confronting the institution of army for the sake of PTI’s future.