PTI-govt standoff will end soon, hopes Tareen

ISLAMABAD: Following a misunderstanding on the reported changes in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the government has succeeded in allaying the PTI’s fears on the MoU.
After this, both have agreed to end the lingering stalemate running since the middle of August last year when Imran Khan had started the historic protest. Ishaq Dar had immediately started the damage control efforts, which have now bore fruits, according to sources privy to the development.
PTI Secretary General Jahangir Khan Tareen was assured by the government’s chief negotiator Ishaq Dar on Friday last that the government continues to stick to the draft MoU that was agreed upon and that no change had been made in the MoU by the government and that the matter would be resolved in accordance with the two parties’ agreement.
In the light of Tareen’s enthusiastic response, it can be safely assumed that hurdles in the way of promulgation of presidential ordinance have been removed and possibly it will be promulgated in the next few days, which could entail PTI’s promised return to the assemblies.
Talking briefly, Tareen said on Sunday, “I can assure you one thing that the issue is going to be resolved within the next couple of days.” He, however, refused to dilate on details of his overtures with the finance minister.
“The issues have been addressed and resolved and the people would see positive results in the next one or two days.” Earlier on Friday, Tareen had told The News that he is confident both sides will resolve the issue in the next couple of days when he meets Dar and hopefully the presidential ordinance would be promulgated soon after to pave the way for setting up the Judicial Commission. When asked if he had met the government negotiator in the last two days, Tareen declined to reply but stressed the issue was quite close to conclusion.
Confusion was created on the MoU when Imran Khan threatened the government to re-launch his suspended protest campaign if the government went back from the points agreed in the MoU with his party negotiators. His statement, according to Tareen, was the result of a misunderstanding about the language and tenor of the draft MoU that has been handed over by attorney general for the party’s nod.
The PTI negotiating team, alarmed by the drastic changes in the MoU, informed the party chairman who immediately gave out his reaction, causing a lot of furore among the political circles who had pinned great hopes on the developments converging on the consensus among the two warring parties on the appointment of a high-powered judicial commission.
Tareen remarked, “In my view and estimate, the matter is already settled and there should be no delay in promulgation of the ordinance”. Earlier, the PTI was given an understanding that the presidential ordinance would be promulgated as soon as the ongoing National Assembly session was prorogued (Friday) but the confusion caused the delay.