Lahore:
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s letter to the army chief, whom the government considers a desperation act, reflects a slight shift in his attitude towards establishment, analysts say.
Some suggest that the change may be linked to non -reveled developments that are taking place in the background.
Analysts unanimously questioned the authenticity of the alleged military response sent by television channels quoting “security sources” that the army only communicates through the ISPR and that any response from other sources should be taken with a grain of salt.
Senior political analyst Mazhar Abbas, who spoke with Express Pakinomist, noted that Imran Khan’s letter signaled a shift in his approach.
He explained that the letter is not seeking support from the army; Rather, it asks the military to stop supporting the coalition government as it claims was formed after Massive Electiongårn. The letter outlines PTI’s policies and encourages the army to support those who really won the election.
Abbas said IMRAN has realized that agitation policy has not produced any positive results. If his overtures are reciprocated, he can tone his scheduled protest on February 8 and instead choose for quiet backchannel messages.
But if there is no answer, the protest will continue as planned – although IMRAN does not want a repeat of November 26.
With regard to the reported military reaction, ABBAS noted that the establishment also wants to avoid giving any impression of the negotiations. The government, he added, would probably also seek insurance from them. Nevertheless, at this point there is no breakthrough in sight.
He believed that Imran Khan’s call for negotiations was a bomber that had put him in a solution, adding that PTI was fully aware of the realities of the earth and the potential results of protests.
Senior Anker Habib Akram agreed that Imran Khan has softened his attitude and pointed out that the language used to tackle the army chief was not as bitter as before.
The change in tone combined with the recent meetings between military leaders and PTI representatives could suggest some developments behind the scenes, he rained.
He also noted that PTI seems to have quietly stepped back from its demand for a Legal Commission for the events on May 9, a step that would have placed the military under intense control.
Contrary to the famous 1977 letter with Air Marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan to the then arm manager against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, IMRAN’s letter is more a statement of facts, Akram argued.
He pointed out that, unlike any misunderstanding of seeking a nro, the army urges to function strictly within his legal domain, adding that it was essentially PTI’s proposal to solve Pakistan’s current crisis.
He also suggested that the government’s reaction inadvertently help the letter gain its intended influence. He claimed that the government’s response betrayed it was uneasy about the move.
Meanwhile, the alleged military reaction, citing ‘security sources’, appears to be a planted story. Any government official knows that a letter received by an official office cannot be ignored as they are obliged to respond, he added.
Senior political analyst and former Vice -Chief Minister Hasan Askari Rizvi believed that Imran Khan’s letter has successfully kept PTI’s problems in the limelight.
For Imran Khan, the central goal is to keep his complaints alive, and this letter achieves it in abundance, he noted.
He rejected the notion that the letter reflects desperation or an attempt to secure a nro. He also raised concern about the alleged response from “security sources”, and called it an unusual development.
