Time to talk

PTI, opposition take to the streets, government faces mounting pressure, calling for dialogue

The political mercury is on the rise as PTI and the combined opposition have taken to the streets. K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi's proactive mass campaigning, as evident from his whirlwind visit to Lahore last week and now Karachi, has galvanised a lethargy-laden six-party opposition alliance along with the TTAP. Mehmood Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas, the designated opposition leaders in the bicameral, were successful to a great extent at flexing their muscles as they made their way to Lahore despite administrative obstacles and highhandedness.

The equation has now simply boiled down to how the proposed dialogue is going to be navigated with the government, and to what extent the ruling coalition can woo the opposition by exhibiting political largesse.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has laid out an open and shut argument. He believes that talks with the federal government "would not take place if party founder Imran Khan is not present". This synopsis is an extension of the TTAP's stance that the jailed former prime minister "must be on board, and access to him be allowed" as per court orders and jail manual. The wind tides incidentally are turning against the ruling coalition as human rights organisations, especially Amnesty International, have voiced their concerns over discriminatory measures against Imran Khan and the legislation that has clamped down on the independence of the judiciary.

Last but not least, the newly-profiled National Dialogue Committee (NDC), with many government allies on board, has also called for providing political space to the opposition, along with the release of political prisoners. The evolving unrest, coupled with economic downturn, is reaching a saturation point. This calls for broad-based parleys, and the first indispensable step is for the ruling party to lower its guard against the opposition. Allowing the PTI founder to seek lawful relief from the courts and kick-starting negotiations should no longer be delayed.

The government's obsession with resorting to force and denying the opposition institutional recourse means toiling with its very survival. The opposition, too, would be well-advised to constitute a high-powered negotiating team with a limited agenda to get the process going. This standoff must come to an end.