Efforts under way for PTI-PDM patch-up

ISLAMABAD: Efforts aimed at building bridges between the PDM coalition government and PTI led by Imran Khan continued on Wednesday when the country’s financial czar met President Arif Alvi once again.

This was Dar’s third meeting with Alvi. At the same time, PMLQ leader Ch Shujaat Hussain also extended an olive branch and expressed his readiness to mediate on PTI’s behalf with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif if Imran Khan agreed to the proposal.

According to sources, Dar talked about political and economic matters with the president. The PML-N leader and President Alvi also held discussions on PTI’s cooperation in bringing about political stability to the country, said the sources.

Both leaders also talked about the next general elections in the country, dissolution of assemblies, the sources said, adding the finance minister asked for the opposition’s support on the implementation of International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) agreement. He also discussed saving 4,000 MW power by shutting down countrywide markets early in the evening and sought political support for it.

In an interview with a news channel, President Alvi, ruling out the country could face default, confirmed Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held a meeting with him to discuss the ongoing political situation in the country, including dissolution of assemblies, economic issues and implementation of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) agreement.

About his meeting with finance minister, Alvi said Dar suggested steps to save power by closing down markets early in the evening, which alone would save 4,000MW. He described Ishaq Dar as a rational democratic actor with a penchant for reconciliation and fence mending, who also made efforts for the same during the sit-in.

Ruling out martial law as the military leadership wants to uphold its pledge of staying apolitical, the president described Gen Asim Munir as a good man and said he had a positive outlook. The president said PTI chief Imran Khan reposed confidence in him and added Imran had told him to inform him about the COAS’s summary. Alvi said that this was what he did and the issue was tackled satisfactorily.

The president said he had no advisory role in COAS’s appointment, which is the mandate of parliament. However, he said competence, seniority and institutional recommendations all should have a role in the appointment of any new COAS.

Regarding Imran Khan’s comments that former COAS Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa played a double game, Alvi said the deposed PM would have spoken from his experience and he had worked with him.

The president said he had met Senator Azam Khan Swati when he was released from detention and said he remained in touch with the former COAS on the issue.

On the other hand, the APP quoting President Secretariat Press Wing’s press release said Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar briefed President Dr Arif Alvi on the overall economic situation of the country. During a call-on, the minister also highlighted the steps taken by the government to provide relief to the most vulnerable segments of society.

The incumbent government and the opposition have been holding talks regarding the date of general elections as the PTI has been constantly putting pressure on the government to conduct snap polls. In case the government does not decide on early elections, the PTI chief has warned of dissolving the Punjab and KP assemblies.

In a related development, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain proposed to become a mediator between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led coalition government.

“Damage to the economy can be avoided if politicians stay in contact. If Imran Khan asks, I will personally speak to Prime Minister [Shehbaz Sharif] in this regard,” he told Geo News. But even though the PTI has been persistent in its demand for early polls, its ally Chief Minister Punjab Pervez Elahi did not see elections taking place in the next four months.

In Wednesday’s talk with Geo News, Shujaat also noted that all the assemblies should complete their respective tenures because if Punjab Assembly was dissolved, it would trigger a constitutional crisis. Shedding light on PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s recent visit, Shujaat said the former president had come to his residence for inquiring about his health, nothing more. “I did not speak about Punjab’s situation with Asif Zardari. It is indeed possible that we might speak about Parvez Elahi in the future,” the ex-prime minister said. Shujaat said that neither did he discuss Elahi nor did he speak about the PDM with Zardari.

On his terms with Elahi, Shujaat said he does not speak about politics with the chief minister and that they only discuss matters related to national interest. “I had suggested Parvez Elahi not to have the FIR (first information report) registered against the army officer.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Wednesday party’s chairman Imran Khan has decided to announce the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies within the next few days.

“Today, the party and the party’s leadership have given the authority to Imran Khan [for the assembly’s dissolution]. Imran Khan now intends to dissolve the assemblies soon, so that the process can be taken forward,” he said while addressing a press conference along with the party’s top brass.

Qureshi said as a result of Khan’s back-to-back consultative meetings with the party’s lawmakers and local leadership, he was “convinced” that the way forward was the dissolution of both assemblies and snap polls.

Qureshi said: “We believe that even if the PDM’s (Pakistan Democratic Movement) federal government is keeping its own interests above the state’s and not thinking about holding general elections, then new governments should be formed in both the provinces before Ramazan.”

The PTI has been pressurising the coalition government in the Centre to hold early elections in light of the “deteriorating economy”, but the former has not heeded to the demand, he added.