ISLAMABAD:
With Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Aeen Pakistan (TTAP) accepting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of political dialogue, the ball is now in the court of the federal government to decide when and how to formally start talks with the opposition alliance.
However, the path towards dialogue is far from easy, as deep-seated divisions within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continue to cloud consensus on the party’s future political direction.
A faction within the PTI opposes dialogue with the government and instead favors a renewed strategy of agitation, a strategy that has yielded few results since the February 8, 2024 elections.
The group believes that public sentiment remains conducive to protesting the continued detention of Imran Khan, but admits that the party’s weak and fragmented leadership has left its supporters rudderless. They maintain that any upcoming protests could prove decisive, citing the growing activism of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who has intensified his efforts to mobilize party workers across the country, particularly in KP.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Lahore today (Friday).
Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan is also reported to be opposed to holding talks with the current government.
However, there appears to be broad agreement within the party that Imran Khan has delegated authority over the future course of action to TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who accepted the prime minister’s offer for talks after what sources describe as exhaustive deliberations.
Another section of the party supports the political compromise, arguing that the executive has effectively consolidated its control over the judiciary, leaving little immediate prospect of relief from the higher courts.
They also point to the absence of significant international pressure on the government to accommodate the PTI, despite it being the country’s largest political party.
These voices further point out that the authorities have managed to instill fear among PTI supporters in Punjab through sustained repression, limiting the party’s ability to mobilize on the streets. With the government retaining multiple levers to further pressure the PTI, they maintain that participating at the negotiating table may be the only viable option to ensure political respite.
Sources also say that the PTI’s social media apparatus continues to play an important role in shaping the party’s political strategy.
Meanwhile, speculation persists about when the government will take action. A political analyst suggests the ruling coalition could be seeking a broader consensus before any decision on troop deployment to Gaza. Others point to the government’s lack of tangible success on the economic front as a possible factor behind its renewed proposals for dialogue.
Meanwhile, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that the government should release senior PTI leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mahmood Rasheed, Yasmin Rashid and Omar Cheema, so that they can start a dialogue on behalf of the party.
It is widely acknowledged that no meaningful dialogue with the opposition can succeed without the participation of Imran Khan.
It is learned that the government is likely to formally respond to the TTAP once the UAE president’s visit is over.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is understood to have extended the offer of political dialogue after consultations with powerful circles.
