The recent meeting of the main opposition alliance, the Tehrik Tahaffuz Ain Pakistan failed to give what its chairman, Mahmud Khan Achakzai, had recommended, that it engage in talks with the government, because the Tehrik’s main component, the PTI, refused to do so. Indeed, the PTI repeated its main plank, its refusal to allow political stability to develop, by vowing that a future PTI government reserved the right to reverse the PIA privatization on Tuesday. The PTI has allowed Mr Achakzai to take up the government’s offer of talks, but has refused to be bound by him, and or by the outcome of the talks. Mr Achakzai had suggested that talks with the government should take place, and that PML(N) President and JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman should also use their good offices in the matter. The PTI’s stance seems to be that talks should take place, but that it should not be seen as taking part in them, because it would be embarrassing. That might explain why the TAP has moved away from the PTI’s constant drumbeat of demanding the release of Imran Khan. The advantage of the TTAP taking part in the talks is that the PTI can say that it did not sully itself by this activity. It seems that it had adopted the rather casual dismissal of attempts at talks as surrender.
Talks have often been accompanied by threats of a street movement. The threat has been made, but it does seem to have been seen by the government as much of one. The government has been riding high on the results of the recent by-election results, which saw the PTI lose all the seats it had won in the general election. Perhaps most encouraging for the government was the defeat of the PTI-backed candidate on the Haripur seat, despite the party being in office in the province.
The PTI has got a real dilemma on its hands. It has so far not been able to spring Mr Khan from jail. However, its base still rejects the idea of talking to those who are keeping him imprisoned. Mr Achakzai has also got to handle the question of Mr Khan’s release. The activities of the National Dialogue Committee, of former PTI leaders led by Mr Fawad Chaudhry, is also significant, for though excoriated by the PTI leadership, it does represent a strand of thinking with the PTI, which is no longer the monolith it likes to think itself to be.
