he ruling coalition and the Pakistan Teheek-i-Insaf have formally started a dialogue to bring down the heightened political temperature. The parties have come to the negotiating table amidst trust deficit on both sides. Rumours are rife about a possible military court trial of PTI’s supremo Imran Khan and of a ‘deal’ with the establishment.

The PTI has withdrawn its two key demands, lending credence to the perception that the party wishes to avoid military court trials of Khan and other senior leaders. Military courts have already convicted a number of PTI activists in May 9-related cases. Former spy master Faiz Hameed is also facing a court-martial. These developments, some say, appear to have made an otherwise aggressive PTI go on the back foot. A few weeks ago, PTI’s hawkish leaders, known for their proximity to Khan, had repeatedly rejected the idea of a dialogue with the political leadership, saying that the “power lies with the military establishment,” and therefore, holding talks with the political government was useless. Now, some of them, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, are part of the PTI’s dialogue team. During the November protest in Islamabad, Gandapur had said that the PTI would hold a dialogue only after the release of Imran Khan. That stance has evidently changed.

A perception gaining popularity recently relates to the coalition government’s ‘fear’ of pressure being brought by the US administration once Donald Trump takes office. A spokesman for the Pakistan Army has said on multiple occasions that the military will not hold talks with ‘miscreants,’ an indirect reference to the PTI. It is believed that the government will not take any big leaps in the affairs of the state without taking the military leadership into confidence.

Still, the National Assembly speaker has brought the two sides together and urged them to hold a dialogue. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s initiative is, undoubtedly, backed by the military leadership and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. Imran Khan has also given a go-ahead to his party leaders for the same.

Initially, the PTI had demanded the withdrawal of the 26th Amendment; restoration of the constitution and democracy; restoration of the allegedly stolen mandate of the PTI; and release of all political prisoners, including Imran Khan.

Talking to the media on Tuesday, PTI stalwart Asad Qaiser said, “Imran Khan has directed us to press the government for two demands: release of all political prisoners, and the constitution of a judicial commission comprising judges of the Supreme Court to probe the May 9 and November 26 incidents.”

Incarcerated Imran Khan while talking to the media during the Tosha Khana Case hearing claimed that he was offered a deal. He said, “I got a message that I should strike a deal with them (powers that be) as a result of which my party would get [political] space, and all prisoners would be released while I would be held in house arrest at Bani Gala. I replied that I would not strike [such] a deal. Instead, I demanded release of my supporters.”

The government and military quarters have denied making such an offer. At the same time, some senior PML-N leaders have expressed scepticism about the outcome of the ongoing dialogue.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in a TV show, said, “I am not against a dialogue but several questions arise after the PTI agreed to it. Why are they, who once had not wanted to hold talks with us, now willing for a dialogue? Do they want a deal with the establishment through us?”

Asif said that the government must be cautious about the change in tactics of the PTI and Khan. He said their willingness to hold a dialogue with political forces was a U-turn from their previous stance. “They can make another U-turn after the dialogue,” he added.

One needs to take into account the fact that Imran Khan has shown flexibility against his instinct. Previously, he had rejected all offers for a political dialogue. He had repeatedly said that he would not hold a dialogue with the PML-N or the PPP. Now he has signalled his party to join the negotiations.

Secondly, he has also reduced his party’s four-point agenda to a two-point agenda, withdrawing demands about the ‘stolen mandate’ and the 26th Amendment. This is being seen as another sign of flexibility, which is always beneficial in politics.

Some see this flexibility as a sign of weakness. But it is a good omen because political dialogue mostly ends with something positive. Even if there is no substantial outcome, a dialogue opens room for further negotiations, which is the democratic way of conflict resolution.

Those who have witnessed the transformation of aggressive politics of political leaders into political reconciliation, once they have been incarcerated, can easily see Khan’s flexibility as the dawning of political maturity. If Khan has truly attained political maturity, then the dialogue might be meaningful for democracy in Pakistan. If Khawaja Asif is right and this is but a circumstantial U-turn, the dialogue will be a waste of time – for the government, the PTI and the nation.

The author is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, writer and analyst. He tweets at @BukhariMubasher