Informal PTI-govt talks face stalemate

ISLAMABAD: Efforts for a breakthrough in background discussions between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have stalled.

An informed source said that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan wanted his release from jail by Friday to call off the November 24 protest march to Islamabad but the government did not agree to it.

The government gave some assurances about possible relief for Imran in the near future but the jailed PTI founder chairman didn’t agree to it.

Now, the source said, the government has asked the PTI to hold a public rally at Sangjani and disperse peacefully the same day to pave the way for talks in the future.

On this point, the incarcerated former PM may be consulted again by his party leaders engaged in these background discussions.

A key PTI leader when contacted also said that he wants Imran's immediate release to call off the November 24 protest.

Meanwhile, a federal minister, on condition of not being named, said that the PTI has been asked to publicly declare its readiness for formal dialogue and, in doing so, to call off its planned November 24 protest.

The government source claimed that while most senior PTI leaders favour dialogue over the planned protest, Imran is insistent on proceeding with the November 24 protest march that he had announced without consulting his party leaders. The government source added that if the PTI genuinely seeks dialogue, it should publicly announce its willingness to talk to the government.

“If the PTI makes its intent for dialogue public, the government will form a committee for formal discussions. However, the protest and the dialogue cannot go hand in hand,” the source explained.

According to a source, the recent informal contact between the government and PTI was initiated by the latter. However, Barrister Saif, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information, insisted that the initiative came from the government.

When asked about the progress of the background interaction between the two, Barrister Saif stated, “There has been no further development since yesterday, and the discussions remain at a standstill.” He added that while both sides are currently engaged in informal talks, if the government is serious about dialogue, it should publicly invite the PTI for formal negotiations.

Barrister Saif noted that Imran has already appointed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as his representatives for meaningful dialogue. Expressing his personal view, he emphasised that the government should supplement its offer with confidence-building measures (CBMs), such as releasing some jailed PTI leaders.

Meanwhile, a senior PTI leader revealed that the party in its informal discussions with the government has demanded the immediate release of Imran or his transfer to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a precondition for moving forward.

PTI founder Imran has confirmed that he received an “offer” via top party leaders to postpone his much-hyped Islamabad protest, slated for November 24.

Speaking to the reporters in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, the PTI founder said he was told that “everything will be alright” if he accepted the offer.

He said that the government had a “golden opportunity” to release him a day earlier following the approval of bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

He noted that his demand could be met immediately, but lamented no action was taken. “Talks are an ongoing process but it confirmed that they were not serious,” he said, adding that they only want to postpone the protest and “prolong the matter” by implicating him.

Originally published in The News