- Source says if govt immediately did not benefit from flexibility in PTI’s stance, things could change again as MQM chief has hinted to join protesters
With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on a visible retreat, sources told Pakistan Today that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is “reluctant to provide an honourable exit” to both the parties, whose supporters have camped in capital’s Red Zone for some days now.
Sources privy to the details of dialogue process between the government and PTI leadership said that Imran Khan had taken “two steps back” and his lawmakers had not only attended the joint session of the parliament but had also agreed to return to the dialogue table.
A source said that if the government immediately did not benefit from the recent flexibility in PTI’s stance, things could change again as Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain had hinted that his party would join the protesters.
The source said that though the PTI and PAT negotiators had softened their stance over some of their earlier demands, the government’s negotiators looked “stubborn”.
“Though the PTI leadership gave a positive signal by attending the joint sitting of the Parliament on Wednesday and pledged their allegiance to the parliament and the parliamentary system, the top government ministers and even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not welcome them. Rather than giving them an exit opportunity, top government negotiators, including Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and others humiliated PTI lawmakers,” the source added.
The source said that even Shaikh Rohail Asghar and Water and Power Minister Abid Sher Ali tried to hinder PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi during the session which could have turned ugly if some parliamentarians had not intervened.
“If things are not addressed immediately, we fear that the protesters who have been on roads for the past 21 days may lose their patience and a mishap could trigger ugly incidents on capital’s roads,” the source added.
The source said that with the number of protesters reducing, the government had planned a police operation early Wednesday to get the protesters removed from the Constitution Avenue.
“Islamabad Police IG was summoned by the government and was asked to give a briefing over the planned operation. Meanwhile, personnel of Elite Force and other forces had been put on a high alert and were asked not to move until the IGP returns. However, the approval for operation was not accorded and the forces still are on a high alert,” the source added.
The source said that a warning by Imran Khan given to Acting IGP Tahir Alam late Tuesday night had also “pushed the government on the back foot” and the planned operation had been put on halt.
Another politician involved in dialogue said that the government should have arrested Khan and Qadri to provide them an honourable exit.
With some analysts thinking that best honourable exit for Khan and Qadri would have been a silent arrest of the duo which would also be a face-saving option for both the politicians on a retreat, political analyst, Dr Rasool Bux Raees, thinks that the government should give PTI and PAT protesters an exit strategy and a good deal would be the best exit.
“Let’s hope that both the parties would agree on the dialogue table. The government has already offered a lot to Khan as 5.5 out of his six demands have been met. If they don’t agree to this deal, the government should use police force to clear the Constitution Avenue after two days,” he added.