‘Imran neither compromised nor weakened’

ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan has conveyed an unambiguous message for the party’s entire rank and file to go full throttle to make the November 24 protest call a success.

PTI’s Secretary Information Shaikh Waqas Akram when approached about the second thoughts within the party leadership regarding the November 24 protest, said that the latest messages the party leadership is getting from jailed PTI’s founder chairman are free from any confusion and ambiguity on the matter.

Shaikh said that the PTI leaders are not being allowed to meet Imran Khan. “We are getting his messages through his lawyers and family members,” he said, adding that these messages are very clear and do not show any compromise either on the part of Imran Khan or regarding the November 24th protest date. When asked that after the release of Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan appears to have softened his stance vis a vis the powers that be, Shaikh denied it and insisted that Khan is just like before and is not shy of saying what is in his mind.

Regarding several top leaders’ reservations about the announcement of the protest date (November 24), he said that after Khan’s decision and his message for all not to show any weakness in making the protest March to Islamabad a success, such reservations become irrelevant. Those in the party, who were unhappy with this announcement from Imran Khan, are not getting any opportunity to meet their jailed leader.

Background interaction with some key leaders of the party shows their eagerness to establish some contact with the military establishment to avoid the November 24th protest by getting some relief for the PTI and Imran Khan. Although the PTI leaders routinely refer to Chief Minister KPK Ali Amin Gandpur as the party’s contact with the establishment, in actuality, the nature of contact the PTI wants for dialogue between the establishment and PTI remains a far cry. Some of the leaders while talking to The News, on condition of not being named, said that they are using all possible links to pave the way for meaningful contact between the establishment and the PTI leadership. Shaikh Waqas, however, said that no one in the party has been given the authority to contact the establishment.

Imran Khan expects his party leaders and workers to make the November 24 protest a real success, but interaction with the party leaders shows that the PTI leaders and workers are quite worn out by repeated protests, arrests and because of the registration of FIRs. Many see the PTI’s November 24th protest as a pressure tactic to compel the establishment to talk to PTI.

However, recently a senior defence source told The News that the Pakistan Army will not hold any dialogue with any political party, including the PTI, as the institution has already stated its stance that it is for the political parties to discuss politics, hold dialogue, and give and take concessions. “It is for the political parties to discuss such matters,”, the source had said, adding that the army had made its position clear in a press conference addressed by the ISPR DG Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif in May this year.