LAHORE: With the military spokesman indicting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), without naming it, in a press conference on Friday and the party responding in kind on Saturday, the chances of success of dialogue between the government and PTI have apparently got slimmer, at least in the short term.

The PTI insiders tried to control the impact of the post-DG ISPR press conference, saying that their leadership was responding to particular accusations, not trying to vitiate the negotiation process, which it hoped to succeed.

On Saturday, Rana Sanaullah, the adviser to the prime minister on political matters, and Saad Rafique also promised sincerity in talks to ensure success. The PTI insiders, however, think that the government ministers are just trying to create a smoke screen of honesty, knowing well that they do not have a weight in the process.

“The PTI is not asking for any favour or compromise. It has a principled stand and has nothing to offer in response. It put forward two bare minimum demands – judicial commission on May 9 and November 26 and release of political prisoners – and both are now non-negotiable. If it is made to relax even these minimum demands, what would it be negotiating for,” wonders Malik Ahmad Khan Bachar, leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly. The party would see how things progress but at the moment it cannot compromise on what it had asked for.

On how the PTI expects its two demands could be met, a party insider, who wishes not to be named, thinks that the party is only looking for that the government does not influence the ‘judicial process’ of the PTI workers. The military courts have sentenced 85 of its workers. All of them have the right to appeal, which the party has decided to do.

“The party believes that it has a strong case in all these appeals because different sentences were given in the same case, with almost the same evidence. If the government does not influence the courts, the party feels all of them would be released by the civilian courts. This is one hope.”

“The other one is commissions to ascertain what happened on both unfortunate days (May 9 and November 26). The party thinks it would be as beneficial for the government as it is for the PTI. It would lend credibility to claims of either party and bring certainty to the system and help end political unrest – the most crucial need of the hour. But, the party is also sure that it would happen only if the establishment allows it to happen. The government is just a pawn, not a player in the whole process. We all know where the real power lies and who can make decisions. The party is keeping fingers crossed,” he says.

Speaking to Dawn by phone, PTI leader Shaukat Basra says the ongoing negotiations were conditional and if the government accepts the party demands by Dec 31st that’s fine, otherwise, it would mean an end to the whole process. He says there is no chance that the PTI would retreat back even an inch from the demands made by the party.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024