ISLAMABAD : Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a former prime minister, has allegedly given his party permission to hold talks with the establishment and other political parties.
Media sources suggest that PTI is willing to have talks with political groups as well as the establishment. PTI leader Shibli Faraz affirmed this, saying that Imran Khan has given the go-ahead for talks.
According to party insiders, Khan has emphasized that all negotiations must absolutely abide by the laws and the Constitution. In addition, it is recommended that Terms of Reference (TORs) be developed beforehand in order to direct talks with various parties and stakeholders, including the political establishment.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Faraz emphasized the necessity of establishing the limits of negotiations while highlighting the nation's current political unrest. The path for the negotiations to be paved with those who are stakeholders will only occur after it is agreed how and in what environment the negotiations will take place, he continued.
According to Faraz, both the PTI and the establishment are real.
Taking note of the reliance on Form 47, he questioned the legitimacy of the current government, which was formed following the elections on February 8.
"It has to be seen how powerful it [government] is," said the PTI leader. Faraz emphasized that before starting a conversation with the establishment and government, the necessary conditions must be met.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) invited PTI to a meeting on the party leadership's directive during the previous day's Senate session.
Shehryar Afridi, the leader of the PTI, announced that day that he planned to hold talks with the military establishment. Speaking to a private TV channel, Afridi hinted that discussions with the director general of ISI and the army commander will soon occur.
Afridi made it clear that the PTI's goal is to negotiate for the improvement of Pakistan's future, not to pursue a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) for itself.
He also noted Imran Khan's persistent wish to interact with the establishment from the beginning, bemoaning the lack of a reaction up to this point.