THE announcement of Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) that his party could return to the National Assembly subject to initiation of a probe into the US cipher, was seen as a sign of flexibility in his otherwise rigid stance on the issues of resignations and general elections.
However, the willingness is unlikely to be viewed with seriousness by other sides as he continues to target institutions and their heads to advance his own political agenda.
In a related development, President Arif Alvi also floated an idea in a bid to bring the political rivals to the negotiating table.
It is, however, a foregone conclusion that prospects for a dialogue can brighten only if the political opponents discard rhetoric and create congenial atmosphere for the talks to produce a substantial outcome.
The establishment of an advisory council headed by prominent jurist Hamid Khan was seen as a positive indication by political analysts but the harsh remarks that the PTI leader made during his speech at the GC University in Lahore force one to believe that IK was still surrounded by hawks.
There seems to be some confusion in the policy of PTI as on the one hand the party wants to have normal relations with national institutions but on the other hand left and right attacks on them continue.
The attempt to cast aspersions on ‘neutrals’ in relevance to the US cipher amounted to pollute young minds about a highly respected and vital national institution.
Similarly, it is all the more regrettable that highly derogatory remarks were used for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, who is an upright personality.
There is a general impression that he is being maligned and made controversial as the Election Commission is seized with sensitive cases that could mean much for PTI.
In this backdrop, we would, once again, emphasize the need for discarding rhetoric to give way for a meaningful dialogue.
