Talks to nowhere

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The snail-paced and synergy-less talks between the government and the PTI have come to naught. Incarcerated former PM Imran Khan has pulled out of 'talks', complaining the ruling dispensation's lack of interest and refusal to do the needful. Such an outcome was a fait accompli, as the government seemed non-serious and perhaps wanted to buy time by engaging the PTI in a directionless dialogue. The PTI which had squeezed down its demands to a two-point agenda - forming judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023 and the November 26, 2024 upheavals, as well as release of political prisoners - ran out of patience and called it a day. The PTI had already made acceptance of, at least, the first demand as the way to go so that the government's sincerity is reflected. But the fact that the coalition could not walk the talk by positively responding had blown the lid, and now political volatility is once again set to rise.

The government, for the first time, seems to be in a tight corner and its inability to strike a working deal with the PTI will have repercussions. That is so because internal and external pressure is mounting, and there is a persistent demand from business, stakeholders and foreign lenders to put the house in order by bringing an end to political uncertainty. But the ruling strata, perhaps, has some flimsy considerations on its mind. It thinks of the opposition as a spent force, and believes that it could get along with marginally improving economic indicators. The slapping of new cases on opposition stalwarts and obstructing the path to justice are other cases in point.

The government would do well to get back to the opposition with an olive branch. Scaling down of political temperature is a must, and accepting the two pivotal demands of the opposition can make a good start. The government itself had canvassed for bringing culprits and hooligans to book, and there could be no better way to appoint independent judicial commissions to look into the issue and release political prisoners who have been wronged. The buck stops at the government.