The opposition says the ball is in the government’s court as it accepts the prime minister’s proposal without preconditions.
ISLAMABAD:
Ten days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an olive branch for political dialogue, the process appears to be stuck at its starting point, with the federal government yet to establish any formal contact with the opposition alliance on the timing and framework of the talks, casting a shadow over the seriousness of the approach.
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aeen Pakistan (TTAP) formally accepted the prime minister’s offer on December 24, showing willingness to engage in dialogue without preconditions. However, no follow-up commitment has been made so far, leaving the process stuck at the declaratory stage.
TTAP vice-president Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the opposition responded to the prime minister’s offer with restraint and political maturity.
He said that without imposing preconditions, the opposition had demonstrated its willingness to engage on broader national issues, including the restoration of the 1973 Constitution, parliamentary sovereignty and the rehabilitation of the much tarnished reputation of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as well as the credibility of the electoral process.
Khokhar said the responsibility now lay squarely with the government, adding that the ball was firmly in its court. He said that if the authorities did not take his offer seriously, the opposition had effectively called his bluff. However, if the intention was truly to lead the country out of its political and economic crisis, his party was willing to play its part in the broader national interest.
He further said that a significant first step by the government would be to stop creating obstacles in the appointment of opposition leaders in both houses of parliament. Without this, he warned, the government’s intentions would remain questionable.
Despite the passage of several months, Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq is yet to notify Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. Similarly, Allama Raja Abbas Nasir has not been notified as leader of the opposition in the Senate. Meanwhile, the government passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the absence of formally notified opposition leaders in both houses.
In this context, TTAP refused to attend the National Dialogue Committee (NDC) conference scheduled for Wednesday.
The National Dialogue Committee, led by former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, aims to propose a roadmap for political dialogue in the country. It is learned that the two main ruling parties, PML-N and PPP, are expected to decide their participation in the conference on Tuesday (today).
Representatives of higher bar associations have also expressed their willingness to attend.
Political analysts say the path towards dialogue remains uneven, not least because of persistent divisions within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the party’s future political direction.
A faction within the PTI opposes negotiations with the government and favors fresh agitation, a strategy that has yielded few results since the February 8, 2024 elections. The group believes public sentiment remains receptive to protesting the continued detention of Imran Khan, but recognizes that the party’s weak and fragmented leadership has left its followers without clear direction.
They argue that any upcoming protests could prove decisive, pointing to the intense activism of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who has intensified his efforts to mobilize party workers across the country, particularly in KP. After Lahore, the CM is scheduled to visit Karachi on January 9.
Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan is also reported to oppose compromise with the current government.
However, there appears to be a broader agreement within the party that Imran Khan has delegated authority over future political strategy to TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who accepted the prime minister’s offer for talks after what sources describe as extensive internal deliberations.
Another section of the PTI 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 repressive measures, drastically limiting the party’s capacity for street mobilization.
