Islamabad, Pakistan – When Omar Ayub Khan, the chief of the opposition and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), introduced the celebration’s constitution of calls for to Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the nation’s Nationwide Meeting, on Thursday, it appeared just like the longstanding deadlock between the federal government and the nation’s hottest celebration may lastly be resolved.
Nevertheless, simply 24 hours later, Imran Khan, former prime minister and PTI founder, was sentenced to 14 years in jail by an accountability court docket on fees of misuse of authority and corruption.
The 2 sides had initiated negotiations late final yr on a number of contentious points, together with the discharge of imprisoned PTI leaders – whom the celebration labels “political prisoners” – and addressing alleged electoral fraud in final yr’s controversial elections.
Up to now, three rounds of talks, moderated by Nationwide Meeting Speaker Sadiq, have taken place, with PTI presenting its constitution of demand within the final assembly.
The federal government is anticipated to answer these calls for inside seven days. But, Khan’s conviction has reignited considerations that the previous three years of political agitation might return, plunging Pakistan again into chaos because the nation grapples with safety and financial crises.
Aasiya Riaz, joint director of the unbiased suppose tank Pakistan Institute of Legislative Growth and Transparency (PILDAT), emphasised the significance of constant dialogue.
“Talks geared toward significant outcomes, for the sake of the nation, should proceed,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
“Each side, the establishment-backed authorities and the PTI, may revert to their respective ways of strain and agitation, respectively. This may result in chaos and uncertainty, however ultimately, they must return to the negotiating desk,” Riaz added.
As soon as a favorite, now a pariah
Imran Khan was ousted in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote of no confidence. He alleged a conspiracy between Pakistan’s highly effective army, his political rivals and the USA to take away him from energy.
The army, thought of Pakistan’s most influential energy dealer, has instantly dominated the nation for practically three of its 76 years since independence. Whereas no prime minister in Pakistan’s historical past has accomplished their tenure, three of 4 army dictators dominated for practically a decade every.
Khan, who was as soon as thought to benefit from the army’s backing, rose to energy in August 2018 earlier than falling out of favour.
Each the US and the army denied his accusations, however his ouster prompted a big crackdown on PTI, with Khan main a number of lengthy marches and protests, railing towards the institution, because the army is euphemistically recognized in Pakistan.
Issues got here to a head on May 9, 2023, when Khan was briefly detained within the Al-Qadir Trust case – the corruption case during which Khan was convicted on Friday.
His launch inside two days did little to quell the unrest as PTI supporters rampaged nationwide, concentrating on public buildings, army places of work and installations, together with the military headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Hundreds of PTI members have been arrested, and greater than 100 have been tried beneath army legal guidelines, with more than 80 sentenced to a few to 10 years in jail. Khan additionally faces fees of inciting mutiny and “terrorism” associated to these occasions.
Negotiation challenges
Regardless of setbacks, together with Khan’s August 2023 arrest and authorized obstacles to PTI’s participation in elections, the celebration’s candidates secured the very best variety of seats within the February polls.
Nevertheless, with Khan behind bars, the PTI’s management staged a number of protests in Islamabad, pressuring Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s authorities to launch him.
In November, PTI launched a march to Islamabad, calling it the “remaining name”. Clashes with legislation enforcement dispersed the march, and PTI claimed a minimum of 12 of its workers have been killed, a determine the federal government denies.
The PTI, in its written set of calls for, has appeared to again down from its insistence on the reversal of election outcomes.
However the celebration has urged the federal government to type two separate probe groups, with the mandate to analyze the occasions of Might 9, 2023, and November 26 – the day of the march to Islamabad – final yr. It has additionally continued to press for the discharge of its “political prisoners”.
Abuzar Salman Niazi, a PTI core committee member, clarified the celebration’s stance.
“We’re not asking for govt orders to launch folks. We demand an finish to judicial interference. If somebody is granted bail, they shouldn’t be arrested in a brand new case instantly after,” Niazi instructed Al Jazeera.
Negotiations will proceed, Niazi added, noting that the present calls for are only the start.
“The federal government was provided the chance to take motion on these comfortable calls for. We’ve different calls for going forward, however these are simply to begin off, and we need to see authorities motion to provoke these investigations into the Might 9 and November 26 incidents,” he added.
Aqeel Malik, the federal government’s authorized affairs spokesperson, mentioned he additionally stays optimistic concerning the talks occurring, regardless of Khan’s conviction.
“Court docket proceedings and dialogue are separate issues. We’ve seven days to answer PTI’s calls for, and the prime minister has already shaped a group to guage them,” Malik instructed Al Jazeera.
Reconciliation or impasse?
Some analysts consider the PTI’s calls for characterize a climbdown and provide the federal government an opportunity at reconciliation.
Ahmed Ijaz, an Islamabad-based political analyst, famous that the PTI’s omission of grievances concerning the February 2024 elections might ease negotiations.
“This permits the federal government to place itself as performing for stability,” Ijaz mentioned.
Alternatively, political commentator Fahd Husain mentioned that the PTI calls for seem “pretty impractical” at this stage.
“Each commissions they search resemble cost sheets, and plenty of associated issues are already in court docket,” Husain instructed Al Jazeera.
Malik, the federal government’s authorized spokesperson, emphasised the necessity for readability in PTI’s calls for.
“As an illustration, the PTI says political prisoners needs to be launched, however they by no means gave us any record of who do they imply. It seems to be an open-ended factor, together with individuals who have been concerned within the Might 9 or November 26 incidents. So, I feel that is at a really nascent stage, however we now have seven days to work on them,” he added.
“Optimistic growth”
Over the previous three years, Khan has repeatedly accused the army, significantly Military Chief Basic Syed Asim Munir, of being liable for his celebration’s plight.
Regardless of the army’s insistence that political negotiations are usually not its area, a current assembly between present PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan (no relation to Imran Khan) and Munir in Peshawar has raised eyebrows.
PTI hailed the assembly as a “constructive growth” and claimed it introduced calls for to Munir. Nevertheless, army sources mentioned that the assembly targeted solely on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s security.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province dominated by the PTI, borders Afghanistan and has witnessed a sequence of assaults that Pakistan blames on armed teams that search shelter in Afghanistan.
However authorities officers, who’re additionally a part of the negotiating group, lashed out on the “politicisation” of the assembly with the military chief.
“No direct talks are taking place outdoors the federal government’s negotiating group,” Senator Irfan Siddiqui asserted in a press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
Ijaz, the Islamabad-based analyst, nevertheless, seen the assembly as vital.
“If dialogue with the military has begun, then the instances and convictions towards Khan change into irrelevant,” he mentioned.
The street forward
However mistrust between the PTI, the federal government and the army might nonetheless derail talks, analysts warn.
The results of that, PTI’s Niazi says, will depart the celebration with no different possibility however to renew its aggressive place and go into agitation mode as soon as once more.
“What different possibility do you suppose we now have, in addition to going again on streets and protesting? We try to carry negotiations conserving the larger good of the nation and public in thoughts, however the onus is on the federal government. They should show a much bigger function to make the dialogue successful,” the Lahore-based PTI chief mentioned.
Nevertheless, the Islamabad-based Husain mentioned that the one hope that would “considerably” change issues in Pakistan could be indicators from Washington, DC, the place Donald Trump is anticipated to take oath as President on Monday.
“If Donald Trump’s administration intervenes, it might assist PTI. In any other case, the celebration seems to have run out of choices,” he mentioned.
