Islamabad (Ansar Abbasi) – The top leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including the party chairman, vice chairman, and the imprisoned president, are currently facing a challenging situation. However, there seems to be an inclination towards mending relations between the party, Imran Khan, and the establishment.
According to party sources, in the absence of imprisoned senior party leadership, including Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Pervez Elahi, PTI is actively seeking alternative paths and avenues to navigate away from direct confrontation with the establishment, which has been the hallmark of the party’s recent stance.
One source from PTI indicated that the ongoing friction between PTI and the establishment is proving beneficial for the party rather than the nation and institutions. The source expressed that PTI wishes for the establishment to review its current policies and, in return, could offer assurance that Imran Khan and the senior leadership would adopt a softer stance towards the military and its top echelons.
A senior leader and spokesperson of PTI, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, mentioned that the party is ready to bridge the gap between the institution and the people, which would be in the best interest of the country. He emphasized that ending the differences between the two sides in the current situation is essential for national interests. The party is also open to participating in national dialogue for ensuring transparent and fair elections.
Abbasi stressed that PTI, as the country’s largest political party, does not intend to undermine institutions for its political gains. He acknowledged the importance of the armed forces and expressed the party’s commitment to avoiding any rift between the institution and the people.
He further added that in order to establish political and economic stability, PTI is prepared to engage in discussions with any political group or institution without hesitation. In the present circumstances, he believed that it’s necessary for the nation to engage in national-level talks to pull the country out of constitutional, political, and economic crises.
Amid these developments, a PTI leader stated on the condition of anonymity that in a recent party committee meeting held after the events of May 9th, the matter was discussed that those PTI leaders who are facing legal cases should step forward, face the charges, and if they don’t, they shouldn’t be allowed to contest elections.
It’s important to note that PTI’s core committee was formed after the incidents of May 9th, but the names of its members were not disclosed. However, Imran Khan had shared the names of all relevant individuals with the committee before his arrest, with instructions that these names should not be made public.
Imran Khan did not nominate any party leader as the acting party head, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, due to his arrest. Currently, Shah Mahmood Qureshi is also under arrest in the Saifur Rehman case. The committee was tasked to decide collectively in this regard. It’s not clear whether the committee obtained Imran Khan’s permission to initiate peace talks with the establishment.
