• PTI divided over lectures versus mobilization strategy.
• Gandapur suggests support from the key quarter.
• US-based doctors looked for informal mediation channel.
  

Islamabad: Like hoping for a fresh dialogue between Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), and the federal government seemed to be gaining momentum with encouragement from central quarters-ppti founder Imran Khan has once again chosen mass mobilization during the negotiations.

According to well-placed sources, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Ameen Gandapur recently told Khan and his party leaders to have received a positive signal from ‘right quarters’ to initiate conversations with the federal government.

These signals were interpreted as an indirect NIKK from the establishment, which has distanced itself from direct political commitment with PTI in recent months.

However, when the message was transferred to the imprisoned PTI chief, he reportedly rejected the offer and instructed his party leadership to prepare for street agitation instead.

Party Insiders claim that Khan remains convinced that public pressure remains the most effective tool for forcing a political breakthrough.

This marks the second major breakdown of a possible dialogue initiative in recent months. Last November last year, another attempt collapsed when PTI’s leadership, allegedly under the influence of former First Lady Bushra Bibi, decided to push his rally beyond Sangjani to D-Chowk in Islamabad.

The move, sources admit, alienated potential mediators and hardened the other side’s attitude at a time when it was reportedly open to conversations.

Interestingly, this time, Barrister Gohar had transferred Khan’s approval in principle to respond positively to a public dialogue offer made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the floor of the National Assembly. The offer came in the wake of PTI’s rare display of unity with the government and armed forces during the recent border tension with India.

Within a week, however, Khan turned his position at a subsequent meeting with leaders of the Senior Party, citing a “misunderstanding” and reiterated that no negotiations would take place unless they were direct with the establishment.

Sources who know internal considerations said that CM Gandapur informed the PTI management that there was a clear indication from influential brokers to move on with government-level conversations.

Leaders in line with Gandapur believed that any understanding with the government would carry the implicit approval of the establishment and could open doors for legal relief for Khan as well as a wider political normalization.

But with the establishment that is firmly denied to engage directly, attention has now approached a delegation of American-based Pakistani doctors who are currently visiting Pakistan. Speculation is rich that informal backchannel efforts can be channeled through this group to help break the stalemate.

Despite repeated setbacks, there is still cautious optimism within some PTI circles that dialogue remains the only viable path forward. But with Khan, who once again focuses on street power over negotiations, the stalemate is far from passing by.

It is believed that the transition to pushing to or preferring agitation and uprising rather than negotiations will certainly cost PTI an opportunity to run things before the adverse decisions are announced in the May 9th cases or the other Toshakhana reference.

Massemobilization to ensure the release of Khan is apparently impossible, a source said, adding that the conflicting legal battle is not over yet and is time consuming.

Originally published in the news