The meeting on ToRs took place after Ishaq Dar’s return from London where he had gone to seek Nawaz Sharif’s advice regarding, inter alia, the stand to be taken on Panama affair’s Terms of Reference. A day earlier, Pervaiz Rashid had shown unusual deference towards Khursheed Shah. As the eighth meeting between the two delegations ended without any positive development, it appears that there is still no substantial change in the PML-N’s policy. It is now for the opposition parties to decide their future line of action
The PPP faces a dilemma. Its leadership wants to put the heat on the PML-N government without threatening the system. It is also supposed to perform an equally difficult task of remaining a part of the opposition without losing political space to Imran Khan. Imran Khan has already put the government on notice to either agree to the opposition’s ToRs or be prepared for an agitation after the Eid. It suits the PPP to keep the issue of Panama leaks burning and to continue blaming Nawaz Sharif of mega corruption during the remaining two years of his tenure, using the period to establish itself in Punjab where electoral battles are finally decided. The PPP is not in a position to mobilise the masses on its own while by joining Imran Khan’s rallies and sit-ins it is likely to be seen as an appendage of the PTI. For similar reasons, the ANP too is unwilling to take the issue to the streets.
The PPP and ANP are likely to try to continue the talks and if that appears useless, agitate the issue in Parliament. Despite Bilawal’s desire to go to the masses in case of the talks’ failure, the PPP would take to the streets only after it is able to do it under its own flag.
The PTI will meanwhile have to rely on Tahirul Qadri, who is as much in haste as Imran Kan for regime change, if it is to initiate an agitation soon after the Eid.
