Imran Khan ‘hasn’t blocked PTI’ from holding backchannel talks

ISLAMABAD, JAN 29 (DNA): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has though called off the formal dialogue process but has not given any such direction to his party leadership regarding backchannel talks.

Publicly all the stakeholders, including the establishment, government and even PTI, denied backchannel contacts and discussions. But there have been different rounds of behind-the-scene interaction during the recent few months.

An important PTI source, in his background discussions with media , said the backchannel talks have not been closed by Khan, who has called off formal talks with the government.

“The backchannel talks have not been closed by the other side as well,” the PTI leader said on condition of not being named.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, when contacted, denied the backchannel talks. He said neither such talks were held before nor were being held now. He said formal dialogue with the government has been closed because of the government’s failure to respond to the demands of the PTI.

He said if the government wanted to set up a parliamentary committee instead of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 and November 26 incidents, it should have made such an offer for consideration of the PTI.

Of late, two PTI leaders’ — Barrister Gohar and Ali Amin Gandapur — meeting with Army Chief General Asim Munir made headlines while jailed PTI leader Khan, while talking to media persons, confirmed the meeting, held recently in Peshawar. Khan was reported as saying Barrister Gohar presented all matters and demands of the party directly to Gen Munir.

Gohar, however, later said security issues were discussed in the meeting without explaining what his relevance was to sit with the army chief along with the chief minister in a meeting discussing security issues.

Khan had termed direct negotiations with the establishment a positive step towards resolving ongoing issues. There has been no formal response from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Khan’s claim, but the government denied any political matter was discussed in the interaction. According to the government, there was no schedule for any meeting of PTI leaders with the army chief.

It was claimed after the law and order meeting of the army chief with different political leaders, Gen Munir was approached by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Gandapur for an exclusive meeting with him and his party chairman Gohar.

The government’s view is that when the PTI leaders talked about party issues, they were told by the army chief to take up political matters with the government and political parties. The army chief, it is said, told them he would not get into such matters.

After this all-important meeting, PTI source confirms no follow-up meeting has so far been held between the PTI and any military official. The PTI is still hopeful the follow-up backchannel meeting will be held. The party source, however, is not sure when it will happen.

The ISPR had said several months back the army would not talk to any political party and insisted politics and political matters should be discussed between the political parties.