Signs of a thaw

Two back-to-back meetings between Imran Khan and his lawyers in jail have rekindled hope for a constructive resolution to the country's soaring political instability. Barrister Salman Safdar's meeting with the incarcerated PTI chief was followed by a more surprising, out-of-the-blue meeting with lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Latif Khosa with the former PM. The demeanor of the lawyers suggested that they had a thorough discussion over the evolving political situation, especially the proposed 28th constitutional amendment and the creation of new provinces. Though the legal team is tight-lipped about the specifics of the meeting - as they are under court instructions not to make them public - it is widely hoped that a thaw will follow in the larger national interest. Optimism is growing, especially as Khan has expressed support for the creation of new provinces.

It is time for the beleaguered coalition government to act with wisdom and engage the opposition by providing it with its due political space. The government's adamant attitude - pushing the opposition to the wall, manipulating its cases in courts of law through executive interference, and imposing governor's rule in K-P - has bred widespread discontent and hampered a participatory democratic culture, apart from making a mockery of the law and the Constitution. The PTI has long been knocking on the doors of the courts in pursuit of lawful relief, only to be thwarted by a prevailing vindictive culture.

A glimmer of hope hinting at a rapprochement lies in the release of Khan's two sisters and the scheduling of the former first couple's cases for hearing next week. The way forward is to let the law take its course without obstruction of justice, while allowing the opposition to play its rightful role both inside and outside parliament. Standing on the verge of an economic downturn and facing mounting security concerns at home and abroad, the country can no longer afford internal turmoil, particularly as it looks to attract vital investment in its mines and minerals sector. The PTI should be brought into the fold to kickstart a new phase of reconciliation, as excluding it has only deepened political decay.