Pakistan's Political Stalemate Worsens as PTI Backs Out of Talks

Pakistan’s Political Stalemate Worsens as PTI Backs Out of Talks

Islamabad, Pakistan—Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party has opted to pull out of discussions with government officials aimed at resolving the tensions that have been a major factor in Pakistan’s political landscape over the last three years. This has triggered concerns of a possible new confrontation on the streets between the opposition and police.

In the course of three discussions, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had set the task for the government to review its charter of demands that was presented at the end of the meeting on January 16. Then, the following week, on a Wednesday, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan declared that the PTI would not be participating in negotiations, following the instructions of Khan, who has been detained since August 2023.
Reporters were interviewed in front of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, in which the former PM is being held; Ali Khan said the PTI founder had “categorically” directed that no future negotiations take place since the government had not formally agreed to create committees of judicial inquiry into the violent events that occurred during two pivotal moments in Pakistan’s history.

“The government made announcements but has yet to follow through, which is why Imran Khan decided to end the negotiations,” Ali Khan said to the media on Thursday.
However, government officials insist that they have not decided whether to create judicial commissions. The government announced that it had set up an under-committee and was consulting with all coalition partners who are part of the negotiation team.

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Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a government committee member, was critical of the PTI’s decision to withdraw from the talks, even though discussions were ongoing.
“When did we announce that we would not create a Judicial commission? The demands were taken seriously,” Siddiqui said on Thursday evening. “We had discussions with each other. What the PTI stated about pulling out is regrettable. I am unsure what transpired in the seven days.” said the minister.

Continued struggle

Talks between PTI and the government started in December of last year in an effort to ease the political tensions that have taken over the nation since April 2022, when Khan’s PTI government was sacked by an unpopular vote in the parliamentary chambers of confidence.
Three rounds were held, and the PTI presented a list of demands, which included forming two judicial commissions as well as the release of “political prisoners.”

Ali Khan, acting as the chairman of PTI in Imran Khan’s absence, stated that the PTI will continue protests and collaborate with other political parties across Pakistan.
“We will continue our struggle by the Constitution and the law,” the president said. “We will initiate a movement in collaboration with all political parties.”
The two commissions that PTI requested were designed to examine the incidents that occurred on May 9, 20, 2023, and November 26, 2024.

In May 2023, the former Premier Khan was briefly held in a corruption investigation, which he was later found guilty of on Friday.
While he was in detention for a short time, PTI supporters launched violent protests across the country, targeting public buildings, military offices, and installations, which included the headquarters of the army in Rawalpindi.
In the aftermath, thousands of PTI employees and their leaders were detained, and over 100 were tried in secret military courts, including more than 80 people recently sentenced to three to ten-year prison sentences. Imran Khan is also facing accusations of inciting mutiny as well as “terrorism” related to those incidents.

Imran Khan Demands Judicial Commissions, Warns of Halting Talks: Gohar

In November 2024, PTI began a protest march in Islamabad and proclaimed it “the “final call” for Imran Khan’s release. However, the law enforcement forces had to disperse the protesters, with PTI saying 12 protesters have been killed in the hands of security personnel during the clashes. This is a claim the government is denying.

Bolt out of nowhere

The beginning of discussions between both parties had been seen as a positive development that could lead to returning to everyday parliamentary politics at a moment when the country is facing ever-growing security threats as a result of increasing attacks by armed groups.
Aqeel Malik, the spokesperson for the legal affairs department, expressed shock at the PTI’s decision, describing it as a “bolt out of nowhere.”

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“We had agreed on seven working days, and our consultations were ongoing carefully on the demands PTI had presented, discussing with coalition partners and seeking legal advice,” Malik stated.
He also said there was no hesitation from the government’s side to comply with the demands of PTI but stressed the importance of not making decisions. “There was no evidence that we were deciding to establish – or even not to form the commission. However, PTI could walk away without warning,” he added.
However, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari called the talks a “sham,” accusing the government of using them to purchase time.
“We have pulled the trigger on talks because our primary and most important requirement was to create commissions. If the government wasn’t willing to make that happen, then what was the purpose of going on?” Bukhari told Al Jazeera.
The U.K.-based PTI leader suggested that the formation of commissions was the simplest option and that the government’s refusal was a sign of malicious intent.
“They were never serious about the talks,” the man said.

Opportunity spurned

Analysts have described PTI’s sudden withdrawal from negotiations “as unusual”.” Asma Shirazi, a journalist and political journalist, claimed that in submitting their demands in their charter, PTI appeared willing to ease tensions, which made their decision to walk out very disappointing.
“It is quite incomprehensible that, despite making headway, they decided to abandon the talks,” she added and argued it was possible that PTI could have bolstered its position by compelling the government to explore all possibilities.

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“They should have waited until the deadline. If the government failed, PTI would have had the moral authority to pressure them.” Shirazi told.
The political analyst Talat Hussain has noted the divergent perspectives between the two sides.
“For the government, it was a gradual process. However, PTI was expecting breakthroughs in only two cycles,” he told Al Jazeera.
Hussain agreed with Shirazi when he claimed that it was a chance to sway the government; however, the PTI rejected it.
“They could have put pressure on the government’s credibility by putting them in the courts and waiting for them to take action on the demands set out. If the government had been unable to follow through on their promises after subsequent rounds, they might have claimed that the government wasn’t serious and that we would leave. However, they didn’t show enough patience.” he said

More agitation to come?

Since its demise three years ago, PTI has organized frequent protest marches and has often engulfed the country through road closures and internet blackouts.
PTI President Bukhari suggested that the party might return to the streets. “Our supporters are willing to come out for Khan, even at great personal risk,” he stated, adding that Pakistan’s “suffocating environment” requires a solution.

But Malik, the government’s spokesperson, said protests should be non-violent.
“If they violate the Constitution through anarchist politics or violence, the government is well-equipped to respond,” the president declared.

Shirazi, the analyst from Islamabad, has said that she expects PTI to be back to the tensions.
“Last time, the PTI attempted to intimidate the government by holding Islamabad under siege during November. Now, with this year’s Champions Trophy scheduled next month, could this mean that the PTI will make use of it as a window to spread disorder?” she wondered.

Pakistan is scheduled to host the top eight nations that play cricket in February. It will be the first time that it has hosted such an occasion since 1996, when it hosted this year’s Cricket World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.
The PTI had also called for protests in Islamabad in October. This coincided with the dates of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which was scheduled to take place in Islamabad. However, just a day before the summit, the PTI decided to withdraw its request.

Hussain, however, was unsure whether the PTI would achieve its goal by resuming protests in the streets.
“They are not likely to agitate any more than they have done in the recent years. They’ve set a certain threshold for bringing people on the streets and causing chaos. They have to meet the level or even exceed that level,” he said. “It will be interesting to see what path they take now.”

Source: Al Jazeera