• Next week will be seen as important to their interactions.
• PTI -Sympathizers trying to influence development.
• No major breakthrough reported so far despite continued push.
  

Islamabad: Some US-based Pakistani doctors and business people who were previously involved in quiet diplomacy regarding Imran Khan have returned to Pakistan in the midst of fresh efforts to secure relief for the prisoners Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) founder.

The group, which reportedly met with a senior official and Imran Khan during a previous visit to Islamabad a few months back, arrived this week and is currently in Lahore.

However, sources suggest that the delegation has not yet managed to secure a meeting with Khan during this visit, nor has it been confirmed if any interaction with any key officials has been found. Next week, it will be seen as important for their interactions.

These visits are understood to be part of running unofficial channels through which PTI Sympathizers and Diaspora numbers try to influence the development with regard to Imran Khan’s legal and political future.

Despite some informal contacts in recent months, no significant breakthrough has been reported. According to sources familiar with the case, the progress of such efforts is not only with political negotiations, but also the construction of Imran Khan and PTI’s social media wing and the announcements of the party’s foreign chapters, especially in the United States and Britain.

The military company has repeatedly stated that it would not engage directly in political parties, instead calling on political forces to solve their problems among themselves. Some PTI leaders are still continuing to pursue behind the scenes contact with key officials despite public denials of such engagements.

Sources indicate that Imran Khan and PTI’s sustained criticism of military leadership through its official social media accounts and affiliated international chapters have been an important stumbling block in any potential reconciliation. Campaigns aimed at the military, disseminating alleged incorrect information and international lobbying efforts – including attempts to influence Washington and London – have reportedly strained the connections further.

Some in PTI’s second-layer leadership acknowledge privately that these aggressive tactics have harmed the party’s prospects, especially efforts to seek gentleness or relief for Khan. There is growing internal recognition that the party must tone down its confrontational attitude, especially on digital platforms, to enable meaningful dialogue and reduce institutional friction.

Observers believe that any improvement in PTI’s political fortunes – and especially Imran Khan’s “disorders” – will depend on the party’s ability to use a positive approach, avoid financial disturbance and stop attacks on state institutions.

With the delegation of overseas Pakistanis, who in turn try to engage the authorities here, political analysts are watching closely to see if these efforts signalize a new phase of reconciliation or another unanswered opportunity for PTI.

Originally published in the news