ISLAMABAD: Following the ultimatum issued by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, both the government and the PTI are sticking to their guns. But behind the scenes, leaders from both sides are hoping for a solution through negotiations.

The argument is: there is too much at stake and neither the government nor the PTI can afford to stir up a hornets’ nest by going for an all-out confrontation.

However, since Mr Khan put down his four demands, spokespersons from the two sides — Dr Shireen Mazari and Information Minister Pervez Rashid — can be seen working overtime to explain their points of view.

Talking to Dawn, a senior aide to the prime minister said the government would try to address Mr Khan’s demand for electoral reforms and, in response, hoped for a positive response from him as well.

“An all-party bicameral parliamentary committee has already been constituted, tasked to give recommendations for constitutional amendments required to make the electoral process free and fair and the government is willing to accept whatever suggestions the committee may make,” he said.

As far as the PTI’s four demands are concerned, they all have to do with the Election Commission of Pakistan and the superior judiciary, explained the aide. “I doubt if the PTI will demand that the entire system be wrapped up.”

What if the PTI chief remained adamant on his one-month deadline and went ahead with his August 14 march, the government source said that whatever plan of action the PTI adopted can’t be extra-constitutional or unlawful. “It’s not that simple; if someone in the PTI thinks that one rally can send the PML-N government home,” he said.

Dawn asked for clarification on the four demands from the PTI spokesperson, Dr Mazari said, “The PTI only wants to expose electoral rigging and let the law take its course.” Talking about her party’s call for a long march to Islamabad, she said it would only be a march for justice in the context of electoral rigging, not to derail the system.

But, another PTI leader was unequivocal in his response. He said, “If by any means, we can prove this conspiracy, hatched to bring the PML-N to power, the government will lose the moral authority to stay in power and the eventual outcome will be early elections”.

But the legislator was quick to add that the party primarily sought drastic electoral reforms so that there could be free and fair elections in the future.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2014