Islamabad, Pakistan – Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has decided to withdraw from government talks aimed at defusing the tensions that have dominated the country’s political landscape for the past three years, fueling fears of new street clashes between the opposition party and law enforcement.
After three rounds of talks, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) put the government on the table to consider its charter of demands, which presented During the last dialogue on January 16. However, a week later, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan announced that the party would withdraw from the talks following the instructions of Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023.
Speaking to reporters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is being held, Ali Khan said the PTI founder had “categorically” ordered that no further talks should take place because the government had not agreed to form judicial commissions of inquiry. of violent events Two seminar days in the recent history of Pakistan.
“The government has made announcements but is yet to follow through, which is why Imran Khan has decided to end the negotiations,” Ali Khan said on Thursday.
However, government officials insist it has not yet made a decision on the request for a judicial commission. For its part, the government announced that it had formed a subcommittee and consulted with the coalition partners involved in the negotiating team.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the cabinet committee, questioned PTI’s sudden decision to withdraw from the talks when consultations were still ongoing.
“When did we say that we would not form a judicial commission? We took those demands very seriously,” Siddiqui said on Thursday evening. “We talked among ourselves. What PTI said about the draw is very unfortunate. I don’t understand what happened in these seven days,” he added.
“Continuation of the fight”
Talks between the PTI and the government began in December last year, with the aim of de-escalating the political tension that has gripped the country since April 2022, when Khan’s PTI government was toppled by a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
Three rounds took place, during which the PTI presented a charter of demands, including the formation of two judicial commissions and the release of “political prisoners”.
Ali Khan, acting as PTI chairman in Imran Khan’s absence, said the party would continue the protests and cooperate with other political parties across the country.
“We will continue our struggle in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” he noted. “We will launch a movement in cooperation with all political parties.”
Two judicial commissions demanded by the PTI were to investigate the events May 9, 2023and November 26, 2024.
In May 2023, former Prime Minister Khan was briefly detained in a corruption case in which he was eventually convicted last Friday.
During their brief detention, PTI supporters launched violent protests across the country, targeting public buildings and military offices and installations, including army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Afterwards, thousands of PTI workers and leaders were arrested, and more than 100 were tried in secret military courts, with At least 80 recently convicted up to three to 10 years in prison. Imran Khan also faces charges of inciting sedition and “terrorism” related to the events.
In November 2024, the PTI launched a march in Islamabad, calling it a “final call” for the release of Imran Khan. However, law enforcement dispersed the protesters and the PTI claimed 12 workers were killed by security forces in conflicts, a figure denied by the government.
“Screw out of nowhere”
The opening of talks between the two sides was seen as a positive step, raising hopes of a return to regular parliamentary politics at a time when the country faces increasing security challenges in the form of increasing attacks by armed groups.
Aqeel Malik, the government’s legal affairs spokesman, expressed surprise at the PTI’s decision, calling it a “bolt out of nowhere”.
“We have agreed on seven working days, and our consultations have carefully gone through the demands presented by the PTI, talking to coalition partners and seeking legal advice,” Malik said.
He added that there was no reluctance on the part of the government to accept PTI’s demands, but stressed the need to avoid hasty decisions. “There were no indications that we decided to form – or not to form – a commission. However, PTI decided to suddenly go out on its own,” he added.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari called the talks a “disgrace”, accusing the government of using them to buy time.
“We pulled the trigger on the talks because our first and foremost condition was the formation of commissions. But if the government doesn’t want it, what’s the point of continuing?” Buhari told Al Jazeera.
The UK-based PTI leader claimed that setting up commissions would be the easiest step and suggested that the government’s reluctance showed malicious intent.
“They were never serious about talks to begin with,” he said.
“Opportunity moved”
Analysts called PTI’s sudden exit from the talks “unusual”. Asma Shirazi, a political commentator, said that by submitting its charter of demands, the PTI appeared to be willingly de-escalating tensions, making their walkout particularly disappointing.
“It is completely incomprehensible that despite having started, they have decided to abandon the talks,” she said, arguing that the PTI could have strengthened its position by forcing the government to exhaust all options.
“They should have waited for the deadline. If the government had failed, the PTI would have had the moral high ground to pressure them,” Shirazi said.
Political analyst Talat Hussain noted the different approaches of the two sides.
“It was a gradual process for the government. But the PTI expected breakthroughs in just a few rounds,” he told Al Jazeera.
Hussain echoed Shirazi and said this was an opportunity to capture the government, but the PTI instigated.
“They could test the government by putting the ball in their court, waiting for them to act on established demands. If the government failed to do so after the next rounds, then they could say that the government is not serious, and we are leaving. But they did not show patience,” he said.
More anxiety?
Since being ousted from power three years ago, the PTI has staged frequent protest marches, often paralyzing the country with road closures and internet blackouts.
PTI leader Bukhari indicated that the party may return to the streets. “Our supporters are ready to stand up for Khan, even at great personal risk,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s current “environmental suffocation” required a resolution.
However, Malik, the government spokesman, said the protests must remain peaceful.
“If they violate the Constitution through anarchist politics or violence, the government is well equipped to respond,” he said.
Shirazi, an Islamabad-based analyst, said she expected the PTI to return to agitations.
“Last time PTI tried to blackmail the government by keeping Islamabad under siege in November. Now with the Champions Trophy scheduled for next month, does that mean the PTI will again use it as its window of opportunity to sow chaos? ” she wondered.
Pakistan is expected to host the top eight cricketing nations in February, the first time it has hosted such a major event since 1996, when it co-hosted the Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka.
The PTI last year also issued a call for a protest in Islamabad in October, coinciding with the dates for Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summitwhich took place in Islamabad. However, a day before the event, PTI decided to withdraw its invitation.
Hussain, however, was not entirely sure that the PTI had achieved its objective by continuing the agitation on the streets.
“They can’t upset more than they already have in the last few years. They set a certain bar for putting people in the streets and causing mayhem. They need to match that level or surpass it,” he said. “It will be interesting to see what path they take now.”
