Sharif sends olive branch to Khan

• PML-N govt gets former CJP’s son ‘removed’ from Balochistan BOI, tasks several inoculators to woo Khan into giving up ‘tsunami march’ on August 14
• PTI’s KP president denies any reconciliation efforts between Khan and premier

Perturbed over the announcement by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan about launching of a ‘tsunami march’ after Eidul Fitr, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has opened back-channel contacts with the cricketer-turned-politician, offering him a thorough probe into the rigging allegations, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to sources, the “removal” of Arsalan Iftikhar Chaudhry from Balochistan Investment Board (BOI) was also a part of confidence-building measures (CBMs) between both the sides.

Well-placed sources have confided that multiple channels were being used to convince Khan to get his march postponed. Both carrot and stick were being used to get the objective achieved, sources added.

“Common friends are playing a key role in managing contacts between both sides which have been exchanging notes for the past three days,” a source in the ruling party told Pakistan Today.

NO RECONCILIATION POSSIBLE:

On the other hand, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Azam Swati ruled out any chances of rapprochement of his party with the ruling coterie.

“We are not fighting for thrones; rather we are standing to preserve principles. Nobody could be allowed to steal the public mandate but the PML-N has committed this sin. So neither any reconciliation is possible nor is any to my knowledge,” he added.

Swati said that he was returning to his hometown after attending an informal meeting with the party’s core group which was headed by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and no reconciliation was discussed in the meeting.

“We are now going to our hometown to mobilise the party’s workers at the ground for the tsunami march. It’s now a do-or-die situation for us.”

Asked whether Arsalan Iftikhar’s removal was a part of CBMs, Swati said that he had lodged the Riko Diq case after taking 30 senators on board.

“We have saved the rich resources of Pakistan,” he said, adding that he had fought this case for three long years with his own resources as a private citizen of this country.

Talking to Pakistan Today, a PML-N leader said that Prime Minister Sharif suspected that Khan’s long march idea was actually conceived “somewhere else” and that the establishment might be behind this move to build pressure over the government to secure release of former dictator Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf.

“The government is also using gestures to woo back Khan and the press conference by Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid was a part of this strategy to send an indirect message to PTI chief that the government was ready to listen and address his reservations,” the source said, adding that no arm-twisting move would be allowed against the government.

“We are political people and would like to make a deal with a politician who has people’s mandate,” the PML-N leader said.

ARSALAN FIRED TO PACIFY KHAN:

The PML-N leader added that in order to regain Khan’s confidence, Nawaz had contacted Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik, directing him to get resignation from the newly-appointed vice chairman of Balochistan Board of Investment Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.

“Since Khan suspects that Arsalan was given the slot in a bid to return favour to Justice (r) Iftikhar Chaudhry, the prime minister has directed the Balochistan chief minister to get resignation from Arsalan. However, Arsalan has been assured that he would be accommodated against some other lucrative positing,” the source added.

KP GOVT ALSO CONVINCING KHAN:

Moreover, the PML-N leader said that the federal government was also using bureaucratic channels to convince KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to use his goodwill with Khan to convince him to drop his plan which could destabilise the entire setup.

“Khattak may convince Khan as the KP government may also face music if anything bad happens to the federal government. There is already resentment among the KP government circles that their achievements are being wasted by Khan’s solo flight.”

PPP PLAYING ITS PART:

In the meanwhile, a source in Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that his party leaders had also been asked to “woo” Khan and his colleagues.

“We are mediating between the two sides just to save the democratic system and hopefully better sense would prevail soon and this mediation would succeed,” the PPP leader added.