ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan government on Friday extended a fresh invitation for talks to Imran Khan’s party, a day before its planned protest against alleged election rigging last year.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claims that it had won the general elections held on Feb 8, 2024, but was robbed of its mandate through massive rigging, an allegation rejected by the government and the election officials.
The rift over the election outcome pitted the PTI against the government, and it held several protests last year, creating instability. However, the two sides agreed in December to negotiate to end the ongoing political uncertainty while addressing several concerns of the opposition.
The talks failed after three rounds due to deadlock over the PTI’s demands to form a judicial commission to probe the protests held on May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024. As the talks faltered, the party reverted to its agitational politics, and its jailed leader Khan asked his followers to protest against the alleged rigging on the first anniversary of the elections.
The move prompted National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who had facilitated the talks, to spring into action, offering fresh negotiations by saying that the doors for talks had never been closed.
“We have not severed ties with the PTI, and they are still in contact with us,” he said in an interaction with the media in Lahore.
Sadiq also said that the leadership of PTI, particularly Khan, was a “tough individual” and acknowledged the complexities of engaging with the opposition.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had last week offered to form a parliamentary panel comprising members of the government and PTI to hold talks but no headway was made.
PTI negotiation committee’s spokesperson Hamid Raza on Thursday posted a statement on X stating that the opposition’s committee has been dissolved following Khan’s direction.
Before agreeing to any fresh talks, PTI is trying to touch its support base through protests and it has already announced to hold a massive rally in the Swabi area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday, while smaller protests would be held at different places in the country.
“PTI is set to hold a massive Jalsa in Swabi, KP, Feb 8, to mark the black day, in reference to stolen mandate of Feb 2024. All KP & North Punjab to attend the Swabi Jalsa, whereas rest of the country to stage protest, in respective constituencies, by the instructions of Imran Khan,” the party said in a WhatsApp message to the media.
It also said that the Punjab administration refused to permit to hold a rally at the historic Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. The party also alleged that police were carrying out raids to arrest the PTI leaders and workers to foil their efforts for protest.
On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers from the premises of the Islamabad High Court. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander house), and the ISI building in Faisalabad. Khan had said he was implicated in the May 9 cases as a result of a “well-orchestrated plan” to “harass” him for political reasons.
On November 13 last year, Khan issued a “final call” for nationwide protests on November 26, demanding the restoration of the PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th constitutional amendment. Responding to his call, thousands of PTI workers reached Islamabad but faced a crackdown by police, which forcibly dispersed them while arresting more than 1,400. — (PTI)