MAKKAH: A group of US-based Pakistani doctors and businessmen has initiated backchannel talks in a bid to secure relief for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, The News reported on Sunday. The delegation met with a senior official in Islamabad and visited Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail as part of these efforts.
These interactions are part of the broader push by PTI and its supporters to seek leniency for Khan. These backchannel discussions are separate from previous negotiations held between PTI representatives and the establishment. Despite these efforts, no significant progress has been made, though there are expectations that the PTI’s behind-the-scenes talks with the establishment could resume soon.
Some PTI leaders, who have previously engaged with the establishment, are reportedly trying to restart these backchannel discussions. However, the military establishment has maintained that it will not engage in direct talks with political parties, stating that political issues should be addressed between the political parties themselves.
A source familiar with the recent efforts by the US-based delegation mentioned that the success of these talks heavily depends on the behavior of Khan and PTI’s social media. PTI’s social media, along with its overseas chapters, particularly in the US and UK, have been critical of the military’s leadership, launching multiple campaigns against the army’s top command. Fake news stories have also circulated, and PTI has sought international pressure, particularly from Washington and London, to push for Khan’s release.
Furthermore, PTI has been active in attempting to disrupt Pakistan’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and has called for sanctions on the country’s military. The party’s second-tier leadership has expressed concerns over its social media’s role in exacerbating the party’s troubles and its leader’s imprisonment.
For the PTI and its supporters, the immediate priority remains securing relief for Khan. However, it is widely believed that progress will only occur if Khan and PTI’s social media channels show restraint and stop targeting the military institution and its leadership, which could potentially improve the situation for the party and its jailed leader.
