- Sources quote Khan refusing to promise law and order in federal capital on Aug 14, however says he does not want to derail system
- PTI Punjab president demeans ECP announcement against fresh elections, says no obstacle could bar PTI workers from marching
Pakistan Today has learnt that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has refused to guarantee law and order in the federal capital even if his party is allowed to hold a rally at D-Chowk, leaving the government to chalk out a counter strategy to deal with “untoward possibilities” such as violence and an attempt to capture the Prime Minister’s House or any other sensitive installation.
Though some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have leaked information of a telephonic conversation between Imran Khan and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan but no official confirmation has been made by either side. PTI Media Cell In-charge Rizvan Chaudhry has also denied telephonic contact between both the leaders.
Sources privy to the ongoing backchannel contacts between PTI and PML-N said that though initial talks have failed to yield results, the government has decided to keep the PTI leadership engaged.
A PTI leader said that there was a contact between both sides and the PML-N government had asked Khan to guarantee that no law and order situation would be created and no threat would be caused to the democratic setup during the march. However, Khan refused to give any such assurance, telling the PML-N leader that his party was committed to the democratic process and they did not want to derail the system.
The source added that Khan said that it was not PTI but the government itself which was taking such actions which could ultimately threaten the democratic system. Without spelling out the details of Azadi March, the source also quoted Khan being adamant at organising the march.
The source said that though strong language was being used by the ruling party on media, the PML-N leadership was making hectic efforts to secure a secret deal with Khan who was defiant for the time being.
KEEPING PTI CONFUSED TILL TRUCE:
“Though the contacts have not been able to make a breakthrough but the prime minister’s camp believes that backchannel would finally succeed. Moreover, the government would keep on giving mixed signals to PTI to create confusion about its strategy,” a source involved with the dialogue said.
The source added that in order to break Khan and his companions, the government was likely to launch a crackdown on PTI’s low-ranked leaders to build pressure. However, this move may backfire as PTI leaders say that such efforts would rather strengthen the resolve of Khan who according to them is a “natural and born fighter”.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry said that the Punjab government’s crackdown on motorcyclists in across Punjab would rather infuriate the resolve of PTI workers.
“The rulers are ruthless. We know what they did in Model Town. But our workers and sympathisers have resolve equal to that of Khan. Our leader and our workers are brave and such efforts would backfire soon,” he said while referring to the Punjab government’s crackdown on motorcyclists for past two days.
Chaudhry said the crackdown was launched following Khan’s announcement that 100,000 motorbikers would join long march from Lahore to Islamabad.
‘WHO LISTENS TO ECP?’
The PTI leader also rejected the claim by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that no midterm polls would be held in the country, saying that the ECP had lost its value once rigging claims by PTI had been proved in vote verification in almost all the cases where record was opened.
He added that the ECP had lost its worth when former chief election commissioner Justice (rtd) Fakaharuddin G Ebrahim had resigned accepting his failure to check rigging. He said not only PTI but the entire nation had rejected the ECP which had violated the sanctity of vote under a “well thought-out conspiracy”.
Chaudhry added that the Punjab government had ordered police to track down all transporters who had provided transport to PTI and PAT workers during past four months but PTI workers would encircle all such police stations where police would arrest any such transporter.
He said that his party had prepared a three-tier plan to tackle any situation and PTI workers, who have a passion for a change, would arrive in the federal capital overcoming all obstacles.