HAVE political stakeholders finally accepted that their ‘war’ has reached a stalemate? Has the PTI understood it cannot gain any more ground through agitation and has the government realised it loses its grip the tighter it clings to power?

There is renewed talk about talks, and a small ray of hope has appeared that both sides may now be willing to give them a chance. Key representatives of the PTI and PML-N certainly made a positive impression during the Wednesday sitting of the National Assembly as the possibility of talks was publicly discussed for the first time.

It appears that the apprehension put forth by the PTI chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, of the possibility of a ‘third force’ occupying the House, resonated with the government. The new stance taken by the PTI marked a significant departure from its earlier insistence on ‘talks only with the powerful’, and government representatives, too, sounded like they welcomed the gesture.

It would be of considerable interest to those who follow the political goings-on to understand how and why the needle has moved at this juncture. Since all we have at this moment are speculation and gossip, perhaps that discussion is best left for a later time. However, it has been interesting to note that the most recent conditions put forth by the PTI’s jailed founder leader marked a big step back from his party’s earlier demands, which had included an ultimatum to return its ‘stolen mandate’, repeal of the 26th Amendment, and fresh elections.

This time, the PTI founder only sought two things: the release of all political prisoners and judicial commissions to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and Nov 26, 2024. The government, too, has lately seemed under pressure, especially after a self-styled ‘establishment representative’ started criticising it as a ‘failed brand’.

Whatever the case may be, one hopes that the PTI and PML-N have also realised that the path they have been on is very likely to end in disaster, not only for themselves but for the country and its people as well. Amidst the protracted fight between the different stakeholders, the state has been gradually hollowed out to the point where none of its institutions can stand on their own.

It seems that there has been some belated realisation that a power vacuum has been created at the expense of the civilian leadership and that this vacuum will be filled by, in Mr Gohar Ali Khan’s words, a “third force” if timely decisions do not pull the country back from the brink. The country will gain immensely and immediately from a breakthrough that allows the cooling of political temperatures and the restoration of some sanity. It is hoped that a serious and conscientious effort will be made to achieve this.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024