Islamabad march: ‘Trust deficit’ prevents breakthrough between PTI, authorities

• Authorities seek PTI assurance against future prolonged sit-ins.
• Proposed concessions exclude political activity from prison: sources.
• PTI expects main mobilisation for march to come from KP: sources.

ISLAMABAD: With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) maintaining its call for a September 27 march towards Islamabad, recent contacts between the party leadership and authorities have failed to produce any breakthrough, primarily because of a deep trust deficit between the two sides, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The contacts, held in the recent past against the backdrop of growing tensions over the proposed march, reportedly revolved around the possibility of de-escalating the situation if the PTI agreed to call off the September 27 mobilisation and gave an assurance that it would not resort in future to protest strategies involving prolonged sit-ins, road blockades or direct confrontations with law-enforcement agencies.

According to people familiar with the discussions, the authorities conveyed that such a commitment could potentially open the way for certain concessions or a relaxation of the treatment of some issues concerning PTI founder Imran Khan and his family.

These included consideration of the shifting of Bushra Bibi to Bani Gala, arrangements for Khan’s transfer to a hospital for treatment and greater facilitation of meetings with him.

However, the proposed relaxation was linked to an understanding that the facilities available to Khan and his wife would not be used for political activity. Meetings with Khan in accordance with applicable rules could be facilitated, but political mobilisation or political activity from inside the prison would not be acceptable, the sources said.

The discussions, however, did not lead to an agreement, with the trust deficit between the two sides emerging as a major obstacle. The latest developments also suggest that the PTI’s actual mobilisation strategy for September 27 may be more heavily concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  (KP) than its public political messaging about a nationwide protest might indicate.

According to PTI sources, the party’s primary mobilisation is expected to come from KP, while workers in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have generally been asked to hold protests in their respective areas because of the comparatively greater restrictions and administrative pressure in those provinces.

PTI workers in areas of Punjab bordering KP, however, have been told that they can coordinate their mobilisation with the KP campaign.

Importantly, according to the sources, there has been no specific direction to the PTI’s Islamabad organisation to independently bring out a large procession from within the federal capital.

The principal thrust of the planned march is expected to come from KP, with the precise movement towards Islamabad to depend on the situation on the ground.

Publicly, however, PTI leaders continue to insist that the September 27 programme will go ahead.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly said that the date remains unchanged. At the same time, PTI leaders have described the march as part of their campaign for the release of Imran Khan and their other political demands.

Meanwhile, the government has publicly warned that it will enforce the law during the protest.

Originally published in The News