Imran's letter signals subtle shift in stance

LAHORE:

Former prime minister Imran Khan's letter to the army chief, which the government views as an act of desperation, reflects a slight shift in his stance on the establishment, analysts say.

Some suggest the change may be linked to undisclosed developments taking place in the background.

Analysts unanimously questioned the authenticity of the purported military response aired by TV channels, which cited "security sources" stating that the army only communicates through ISPR and that any response from other sources should be taken with a grain of salt.

Senior political analyst Mazhar Abbas, speaking to The Express Tribune, noted that Imran Khan's letter signalled a shift in his approach.

He explained that the letter does not seek support from the army; rather, it asks the military to stop backing the coalition government, which it claims was formed after massive electoral rigging. The letter outlines PTI's policies and urges the army to support those who genuinely won the elections.

Abbas said Imran has realised that agitation politics has not yielded any positive outcomes. If his overtures are reciprocated, he may tone down his planned protest on February 8, opting instead for quiet backchannel messaging.

However, if there is no response, the protest will proceed as planned - though Imran does not want a repeat of Nov 26.

Regarding the reported military response, Abbas noted that the establishment would also want to avoid giving any impression of negotiations. The government, he added, would likely seek reassurances from them as well. Nonetheless, at this point, there is no breakthrough in sight.

He believed that Imran Khan's call for negotiations was a blunder that had put him in a fix, adding that PTI was fully aware of the ground realities and the potential outcomes of protests.

Senior anchor Habib Akram agreed that Imran Khan has softened his stance, pointing out that the language used to address the army chief was not as bitter as in the past.

The change in tone, coupled with recent meetings between military leaders and PTI representatives, could hint at some behind-the-scenes developments, he reckoned.

He also noted that PTI appears to have quietly stepped back from its demand for a judicial commission on the events of May 9, a move that would have placed the military under intense scrutiny.

Unlike the famous 1977 letter by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan to the then-army chief against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Imran's letter is more of a statement of facts, Akram argued.

He pointed out that the letter, contrary to any misconceptions about seeking an NRO, urges the army to operate strictly within its legal domain, adding that it was essentially PTI's proposal for resolving Pakistan's current crisis.

He also suggested that the government's reaction inadvertently helped the letter achieve its intended impact. He asserted that the government's response betrayed that it was unsettled by the move.

Meanwhile, the purported military response, citing 'security sources,' appears to be a planted story. Any government official knows that a letter received by an official office cannot be ignored as they are duty-bound to respond, he added.

Senior political analyst and former caretaker chief minister Hasan Askari Rizvi believed Imran Khan's letter has successfully kept PTI's issues in the spotlight.

For Imran Khan, the key objective is to keep his grievances alive, and this letter achieves that in abundance, he noted.

He dismissed the notion that the letter reflects desperation or an attempt at securing an NRO. He also raised concerns over the alleged response from "security sources," calling it an unusual development.