“Politicians should talk to each other, don’t drag us into it,” the source quoted the establishment player as telling the ministers.
A credible source confirmed to The News that some federal ministers met an important player of the establishment on Friday night but it was categorically denied that Imran Khan was seeking an NRO for himself.
Opposition sources, however, claimed that some key members of the establishment met the prime minister at Banigala late in the night on Friday. In their meeting, the opposition sources asserted that the PM sought the establishment’s guarantee that if he resigns, the future government (of opposition parties) would not make NAB cases against him and his government.
Several journalists also claimed the same on social media on Saturday night. However, a credible source told this correspondent that this was totally incorrect.
The source said that the establishment players did not meet the prime minister in Banigala on Friday night. Instead, a few ministers met a key establishment official on Saturday at the latter’s official residence in Rawalpindi and sought the establishment’s help to persuade the opposition for fresh elections within 90 days in return for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation.
There was no discussion about any NRO or seeking any guarantee from the establishment that Imran Khan will not be booked in any case.
The establishment, according to the source, told the ministers that the Army would not interfere in this political dispute between the ruling PTI and the opposition. The establishment told the minister to keep the establishment out of politics and settle the issues between themselves (political parties). “Politicians should talk to each other, don’t drag us into it,” the source quoted the establishment player as telling the ministers.
Of late, the establishment on the government’s request first met the prime minister and then the opposition to help the two to agree on some amicable solution to the present political impasse. However, they were embarrassed when the prime minister told a TV channel that the establishment had brought to him the opposition’s proposal of early elections.
In response to PM Imran Khan’s claim that the establishment brought to him three options from the opposition, sources in the establishment had clarified that the military leadership did not bring the opposition’s options, rather the civilian government telephoned the top brass and asked for a meeting to discuss the ongoing political scenario.
On that occasion, the Army chief and DG ISI, after meeting the prime minister, had visited the opposition leaders with the government offer that the prime minister would resign and dissolve the National Assembly if the opposition withdrew the no-trust motion. The opposition leaders were told that if they agreed to it, the country would avoid a possible political crisis. However, the opposition was not ready for anything short of a no-trust move.
Some of the opposition voices had also started demanding of the establishment to come forward and help the present political resolved between the government and the opposition.