Offer but no acceptance

The government has tried. In fact, those running the current government tried even when they were not in power. But Imran Khan and his PTI are just not interested in talking to other politicians. Just a few days back, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered talks to Imran Khan to settle political disputes – offering to “let’s sit down and talk”. Shehbaz reminisced about the trials and tribulations the PML-N leadership faced during the PTI’s tenure and reminded the former ruling party how he had offered a Charter of Economy back when Imran Khan was the prime minister, an offer that was rejected by the PTI back then. The response unfortunately has been the same this time around as well. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub has rejected the PM’s offer and said the PTI would talk with the government once the PTI founder and other incarcerated workers and leaders are released from jail. Just earlier this month, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar had said that Imran Khan had given a green signal for talks with the government.

It seems that at the end of the day, the PTI is just not interested in talking to the civilian government and would rather talk to the ‘real deal’. Time and again, PTI leaders have made it obvious that they think this government is not powerful and cannot resolve any issues so the party would rather just talk to those it sees as the real stakeholders. Critics say that when the PTI makes talks conditional to Imran Khan’s release, the party effectively signals it doesn’t want to move forward. PTI supporters offer another view: perhaps the government itself is not interested in a dialogue with the PTI but keeps making this offer as it knows that the establishment is not willing to talk to the opposition party and that the PTI will keep rejecting the government’s offer for talks.

Interestingly, there is yet another view which sees the internal confusions within the PTI and asks how a party that seems directionless without its leader and has internal fissures can initiate a meaningful dialogue with the government when it needs to sort out its own mess first. This view is due to the statements of former PTI leaders and some commentators who have alleged that the current PTI leadership is not interested in getting Imran Khan released from jail as they are enjoying the fame and relevance in his absence. There have also been reports of cracks emerging within the party as 21 of its lawmakers, who are now part of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), have reportedly hinted at forming a forward bloc over the party’s top leadership’s inability to secure Imran’s release from jail. Regardless of the PTI’s internal issues, the party must show some seriousness when it comes to politics and democracy. Sitting with the government and resolving issues should be the first step in the right direction. If it keeps rejecting these offers, there may come a time when the government will not want to sit with them while the party is ready. Such a deadlock will only lead to further political instability.