The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wishes to have a dialogue with the military establishment. It rejects the government’s offers to negotiate. Will PTI be succeeded to hold talks the present military command? Why government offers so much to PTI and can any talks, if initiated, benefit Mr. Imran Khan?
These are the questions that emerged after PTI’s leader Shehryar Afridi expressed having talks with the Army Chief and the Director General of the ISI. Declining the government offers to resolve political matters, he said that the government was needing that dialogue, but “They – government- is not capable to have talks. We will negotiate, but with the Army Chief and with the DG ISI.” Is it not an NRO which PTI is seeking from military? Has not the PTI earlier been alleging and criticizing PMLN for it in the past?
The PTI has been denying any of such wish since Mr. Khan was jailed, but somewhere it has reportedly been going on but always denied. Even today it can be presumed impossible for multiple reasons. It may not be possible at least by the present military establishment to go into talks with Imran Khan. Is anybody unaware how Mr. Khan earlier supported the former Army Chief – General (retd) Qamar Bajwa – and then held him responsible as well for all that happened to PTI. When Khan was Prime Minster and the DG ISI informed him of Bushra Bibi’s undue favors to her friend -Farah Jameel and Gujar and family then what Mr. did? Showing displeasure on this matter, he replaced the DG ISI with Lt. General (Retd) Faiz Hameed.
When again the GHQ notified Lt. General Naveed Anjum as DG ISI and transferred Mr. Faiz as core commander, Imran Khan opposed this notification of the army and emphasized on Gen. Faiz Hameed’s retention. Then finally, he notified Mr. Naveed Anjum hopping that now Faiz Hameed could be the next Army Chief and support his government. The indecent remarks he has been passing about the neutrality of the military establishment is another factor to be remembered by those wishing for reconciliation with army.
Another reason that could possibly imply big no from the military is all that happened on May 9 when in the history of Pakistan military installations and GHQ was attacked, monuments of martyrs of the nation were disgraced and a historic residence of a military commander in Lahore was ransacked and set ablaze.
At whose commands all this done which even the enemies of could not even right from the 1947. When military leadership has resolved for not to let such incidents happen again and the May 9 is approaching nearer and still the responsible were not awarded punishments, then how it can be expected that at least this military establishment will be reconciling as being wished by the PTI’s leadership.
Mr. Khan again maligned the military’s top command over recently proved baseless allegations of poising to Bushra Bibi. He alleged another highly professional military commander for planning to assassinate Khan. The are some of the factors that speak for an expected “No” from the military ranks and files. Then Imran Khan’s penned letters to the IMF and the Supreme court, and for politically motivated reasons supported IHC judges’ letter to the Supreme Judicial Council. The PTI leadership’s statements to avert expected Saudi investment at the time when a high-profile Saudi delegation was in Pakistan and then what politics was played on sypher issue are some factors that support an expected “NO.” The former Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial led court openly and clearly favorited Mr. Khan denied military’s request for delaying elections over national security issues. Appeals to the US Congress to bring Khan out of jail also failed what more PTI is looking for to initiate reconciliatory dialogue with Army?
A previous press conference of the DG ISI and DG ISPR regarding Irshad Sharif’s murder in Kenya and a social media campaign against military command and yesterday’s attitude to malign state institutions and attacking police also lead toward the possibility that no such talks could be initiated between the PTI and military even in the near future. Another very important factor that could lead to an expected “No” from military establishment is that currently Pakistan Army is more dedicatedly focused on the economic development of the country and ensure its security both internally and externally. Can military afford another such experiment such as was done in the past when Mr. Khan came into power? It is being expected that military can go to any extent to ensure Pakistan’s safety in terms of security and boost economy. The only thing which army would possibly not do is the shacking of hands with the jailed former prime minister.
Importantly, when Senate chairman has already been elected, an option for governor rule in KP is available if any adventure KP’s chief minister launches to bring Khan out of the jail than what is left behind for PTI? It is being expected that possibly no such wished negotiations will be happening even when the ECP has also recognized Sunni Ittihad Council (SIC) a political party, legitimized the merger of PTI’s independents in SIC, and the opposition leader in the National Assembly is already enjoying privileges.
Now as for the government is concerned that why it is making repeated offers to PTI for dialogue, may have some possible aspects. One is that the government wants to dispel an impression that this government is a sort of a military’s franchise, as Mr. Afridi said that government was in need of this dialogue. Another aspect may be this that that government wants to comminate to Mr. Khan that the political government being political is ready to negotiate hopping that a song of Farm 47 could be stopped.
The government may also be offering these talks to save its image at international level, realizing that Mr. Khan at least is a political and popular leader. It may also have some other reasons behind, but important is that some efforts on PTI level too are being reported to initiate this dialogue with the government. It is being reported that PTI is in a process of forming a committee comprising senior politicians. It will then then be contacting political parties like Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) to initiate this process. However, to what level PTI succeeds in having its concerned addressed and take Khan out of jail should be waited.
(Senior journalist Rana Kashif has authored this opinion piece)
