RAWALPINDI:
Talks aimed at bringing down simmering political tensions between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government remained in a stalemate on Monday, with both sides locked in a game of brinkmanship despite two rounds of parleys.
A day after the government blasted the opposition party for shifting goalposts, efforts to break the ice appeared to be going around in circles as neither side showed any intention of blinking first, instead trading accusations of speaking with a forked tongue.
Moreover, PTI leaders, already on edge, expressed growing mistrust, and accused the government of insincerity and using delaying tactics to gain upper hand. They demanded a meeting between its negotiation team and party founder Imran Khan before proceeding with the third round of talks.
Imran’s legal team also faced challenges in the ongoing negotiations, as they have been unable to meet with Imran directly to discuss key points. However, despite all that several PTI leaders dismissed the talk of any backdoor talks or a deal.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan accused the government of trying to force Imran into an NRO-style deal, first attempting to send him abroad for three years and later offering him house arrest in exchange for silence. She dismissed rumours of behind-the-scenes negotiations, reiterating that Imran was focused on proving his innocence and would challenge any conviction in a higher court.
Despite two rounds of talks, the PTI negotiators, including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, have yet to gain access to Imran, and they stress the importance of consulting him before moving forward in discussions with the government.
Barrister Gohar said that the negotiating team wanted to meet the party’s incarcerated founder before the third round of negotiations, adding that the government committee had already been informed of their demand. He also dismissed rumours of backdoor negotiations or the involvement of Bushra Bibi in the process.
Barrister Gohar said the party’s founder had set a clear timeline regarding the release of prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission. “We were hopeful of a meeting today, but there is no confirmation yet. We expect to meet him on Tuesday (today),” he added.
Responding to speculation about Bushra Bibi’s involvement, he categorically denied such claims, reiterating that only the negotiation committee formed by the PTI founder was authorised to hold talks. “No meetings have occurred beyond the two formal rounds of negotiations,” he clarified.
Request for jail meeting
Meanwhile, PTI’s legal team has submitted a written request to Adiala Jail authorities, seeking permission for the party’s negotiation committee to meet the PTI founder before the third round of talks. The petition urged that the meeting take place in an open environment rather than a confined room.
Filed during a hearing for the Toshakhana reference, the application emphasised the significance of this meeting to ensure the negotiation process moves forward. However, jail authorities have yet to respond to the request, according to PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry. “We are hopeful the administration will act promptly and facilitate the meeting,” he said.
‘Political juggling’
Similarly, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram denounced the Punjab government and other “political jugglers” for making “nonsensical statements aimed at disrupting the political environment to create an excuse to bring to a halt the ongoing political dialogue”.
He said that the “mandate-thief government’s cronies” should not doubt the PTI’s intentions pertaining to the parlays, saying the “talks have made no headway due to the fascist regime’s non-serious and coercive” attitude.
Waqas urged the government to “rein in the rogue elements” within their own ranks, who were determined to sabotage the negotiation process and had become major obstacles to its success.
He said that PTI’s commitment to resolving the current political impasse was clear when Imran Khan took the initiative to form an empowered negotiating committee, but “the fascist regime failed to reciprocate” with equal seriousness.
Waqas continued that the authoritarian government had unleashed its “political jokers” to unfairly target the PTI, diverting attention from its own ineptness and powerlessness, to undermine the dialogue. He said that PTI should not be blamed for moving the goalposts, as its demands had been very clear and consistent since the beginning of the dialogue process.
Waqas stressed that it was incumbent upon the government to bring down the political temperature and “ensure uninterrupted access to the unlawfully incarcerated” PTI founder to take his regular inputs regarding the negotiation process because only he could make any final decisions.
The PTI leader further urged the government to fulfil its commitment and immediately facilitate a meeting between PTI’s negotiating team and Imran Khan, avoiding unnecessary confusion to help steer the country out of a quagmire of problems.
