Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to the PTI to hold talks broke no new ground. The government made no new pre-talks offer, and thus it was almost inevitable that the PTI leadership in Parliament made the acceptance of the offer conditional on PTI chief Imran Khan’s release from prison. However, Mr Sharif’s offer was made in Parliament, which added weight to the offer. It also added weight to the rejection. It should be noted that business would go on as usual, and that talks would remain subjected to political convenience. However, even the PML(N) does have figures who say that Mr Khan should remain in jail for the rest of the tenure; but the PTI is still unable to wrap its head around the imprisonment of its leader. And not just it’s leader, but other party workers. The PTI has been unable to convert its undoubted support into the sort of mass mobilization that would lead to the government being forced to talk.
There are three different timelines at work, all starting with events that need to be talked about. The first is the dismissal of the Khan government just over two years ago. Then were the events of May 9 last year, which opponents insist show the inherent wrongheadedness of the PTI, and which supporters still blame on agents provocateurs. Another point of contention are the February elections, which the PTI insists were badly rigged. How the PML(N) counter-claims that the 2018 elections were rigged, and the 2024 ones fair, or how the PTI claims rigging in 2024, and defends the 2018 ones is not clear, but it seems that these issues have to be addressed.
However, these are politicians, who would do well to remember that parliaments are basically talking shops, and it is by discussion that problems are resolved. Even in armed conflicts, the end occurs through talks. That talks must take place if issues are to be resolved is indisputable. The PTI is the party without power, therefore it needs to talk more than the government does. Even if talks do not start at once, there must be some contacts, informal at least initially, setting up the modalities. However, Mr Khan may represent the biggest hurdle. It may make sense for lesser beings to take on the burden of the pollution inherent in talking to those he has labelled thieves and dacoits while he is yet in prison.
