A rare gesture of political settlement witnessed in the National Assembly earlier this week when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expanded a formal invitation to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-In-Insaf (PTI) to direct conversations and raised hope to facilitate the country’s tense political climate.

According to sources, the exchange took place during a national assembly session when PM Shehbaz personally contacted PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and initiated a short but meaningful conversation, including a handshake.

The prime minister was quoted and said, “Let’s sit and talk – negotiations are the solution to everything. I have said this before, and I say it again: We must speak.”

Barrister Gohar reacted briefly with an optimistic “inshallah” (God willing).

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Sources described the atmosphere as informal, yet positive. The dialogue allegedly found just before the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on reserved seats that have major political consequences.

The efforts to secure an official response from lawyer Gohar were not successful. However, PTI-Iniders confirmed that the Prime Minister’s offer would be forwarded to PTI founder Imran Khan, the party’s ultimate decision maker.

This movement is in line with the recent overtures of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, who has also pursued for dialogue with PTI to abuse political tensions.

In a speech with the media after a meeting with opposition members earlier this week, Sanaullah highlighted the prime minister’s willingness to hold conversations, even in the speaker’s chamber, whose opposition should find direct dialogue uncomfortable.

“Dialogue is important for democratic progress,” Sanaullah said, adding, “it is unfortunate that conversations have stopped and the responsibility lies with the PTI founder who prevents meaningful commitment.”

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However, despite these encouraging signs, the prospect of reconciliation remains uncertain after a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on Friday overturned its 12 July 2024 judgment, which had reinstated PTI as a parliamentary party and allowed it to demand reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

The short order issued on Friday effectively prevents PTI from demanding nearly 80 reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. The order consolidates the position of the ruling coalition, which potentially enables it to secure a two-third majority in parliamentary development that can significantly change the country’s political landscape.

PTI strongly condemned the Supreme Court’s judgment and called it a violation of constitutional and democratic norms.

In a statement from its central media department, the party described the verdict as “a continuation of the state’s oppression” and “a robbery of the public mandate.” The statement also claimed that the party’s constitutional right had once again been “monitored through a judicial bench.”

PTI also claimed that the reserved seats were distributed “as a pamper of war” among parties who lacked public support, and called it an obvious mockery of democracy.