Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD:…With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) maintaining its call for a march to Islamabad on September 27, recent contacts between the party leadership and the authorities have not yielded any breakthrough, largely due to a deep lack of trust between the two sides. This has been reported by sources familiar with the negotiations. According to sources, the recent contacts, amid heightened tensions over the proposed march, discussed the possibility of de-escalating the situation if the PTI agreed to cancel the September 27 protest and gave assurances that it would not adopt a strategy of prolonged sit-ins, road closures or direct confrontation with law enforcement agencies in the future. According to people familiar with the talks, the officials have posited that such an assurance could pave the way for concessions or leniency in certain cases, including those related to PTI founder Imran Khan and his family. These matters included the consideration of transferring Bushra Bibi to Bani Gala, arrangements for transferring Imran Khan to hospital for medical treatment and providing more facilities for meetings with him. However, the proposed relaxation was conditioned on the understanding that the facilities available to Imran Khan and his wife would not be used for political activities. Sources said that as per the applicable rules, meetings with Imran Khan can be facilitated, however political movement or political activity from jail will not be acceptable. However, these negotiations did not lead to an agreement and the lack of trust between the two sides emerged as a major obstacle. Recent developments also indicate that the PTI’s practical protest strategy for September 27 may be more concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the party’s populist political rhetoric on nationwide protests appears to be more expansive. According to PTI sources, the main protest activity of the party is expected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while workers in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have been asked to protest generally in their respective regions, as there are relatively more restrictions and administrative pressure in these provinces. However, PTI activists in areas of Punjab bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been told that they can coordinate their protest movement with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa campaign. According to sources, what is important is that no specific instructions have been given to PTI’s Islamabad organization to independently take out a large procession from within the federal capital. The main thrust of the expected march will be from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the mode of advance towards Islamabad will depend on the situation on the ground. However, publicly PTI leaders continue to insist that the September 27 program will go ahead anyway. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly said that no change has been made in history, while PTI leaders have termed this march as part of the ongoing campaign for the release of Imran Khan and their other political demands. On the other hand, the government has warned that the implementation of the law will be ensured during the protest.