PTI may reach out to opposition partners

Party leaders say it will press ahead with October 30 protest with or without political support

LAHORE: As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gears up for its plan to shut down Islamabad unless Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns or presents himself for accountability over the Panama leaks, the party may extend invitations to opposition parties after weighing their responses in the run-up to October 30.

But three weeks ahead of PTI’s anticipated showdown with the government, it is clear that the party will go ahead with its plan with or without its political allies.

With the party’s core committee expected to meet after Ashura to discuss its strategy for its next protest, PTI leaders say engaging with other parties will be among agenda items. While there’s speculation that PTI will reach out to Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), winning over Pakistan Peoples Party seems unlikely given how it recently traded barbs with PTI.

“So far, we have received mixed signals from PPP,” said Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Although PPP had token presence at PTI’s September 3 rally, it distanced itself from the more recent Raiwind protest citing issues with the venue which was some five kilometres away from Premier Nawaz’s residence. This, Qureshi claimed, was a mere excuse on part of PPP, which until Raiwind was in political coordination with PTI.

“There are now two factions within PPP,” Qureshi said. He believes one of them, which includes Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, were in favour of increasing pressure on the government, even if it meant exploring street power. The other faction, according to Qureshi, is being controlled by co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who was not keen on pushing ahead. “That element, it seems, has prevailed,” he said, adding that this may have transpired in the aftermath of backdoor communication with the government.

PTI chief Imran Khan expressed similar sentiments, going so far as advising PPP to go for a minus-Zardari formula, much to Bilawal’s annoyance.

In view of this, PTI may send PPP an invitation if it shows a positive signal, Qureshi said. He added that his party, for now, does not want to embarrass PPP by reaching to a ‘non-committal party’. But he reiterated that while PTI will discuss this later this week, it intended to go ahead regardless of political support.

PTI has been accused of ‘solo flight’, especially in the aftermath of the September 30 Raiwind protest in which no opposition party save for Shaikh Rasheed’s Awami Muslim League participated. While Imran denounced the allegations, attacks were launched against opposition parties that claimed he chose to remain silent despite agreeing in principle to demand accountability.

Party leader Ejaz Chaudhry believes PTI will reach out to all parties again for the Islamabad protest provided they agree to its conditions. “Command and control of this protest will lie with PTI,” he said, adding that the party had previously, too, exhausted all attempts at trying to forge a strong opposition alliance. Despite this, Chaudhry said PTI wasn’t relying on any party for its showdown.

Party insiders say PTI has grown confident about its ability to mobilise the masses, especially in Punjab, in the aftermath of the Raiwind rally.

Amid speculation about meetings abroad between PTI leaders and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Sunday, PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said his party is open to joining PTI’s protest if there is clarity and equal treatment. “We are open to all possibilities if we are treated as equal partners … but if we are expected to just tag along, then no,” he said.

Gandapur blamed PTI’s failure to coordinate efforts for the falling out between the two parties. He also accused it of lack of clarity regarding the Raiwind rally. “Raiwind was a destination for us, not a bus stop. But PTI was not prepared.”

PAT has so far received no word from PTI regarding its October 30 plans, Gandapur said. He confirmed he was in contact with Chaudhry Sarwar earlier last week.

Rumours regarding a possible meeting between Qadri and Sarwar have been circulating as well. But sources in the Sarwar camp claim no meetings have yet been planned.

Gandapur did not confirm if there are any meetings planned in the near future between the two parties but says issues if addressed could pave way with PTI, whom he called ‘old friends’ and ‘partners’.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2016.