US-Based Pakistanis Join PTI’s Backchannel Push for Imran’s Relief

By  Ansar Abbasi

 

Makkah: A group of US-based Pakistani doctors and businessmen met a senior official in Islamabad and PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail.

These interactions are part of the PTI and its sympathisers’ effort to seek some relief for Imran Khan. These backchannel efforts are in addition to the behind-the-scenes negotiations that were held between the PTI and concerned quarters.

No progress has been made so far in any of these efforts amid expectations that the PTI’s backchannel talks with the establishment may resume.

Some PTI leaders who have been interacting with the establishment in the past are trying for resumption of the backchannel talks. The military establishment has been consistently insisting that it would not talk to politicians and political parties and that it is for the political parties to discuss politics and related issues between themselves. Some PTI leaders have, however, talked of their backchannel interactions.

A source, who is aware of the recent interactions of the US-based Pakistani doctors and businessmen with Imran Khan and a key official, said that a breakthrough in such efforts depends on the conduct of the PTI social media and Imran Khan.

The PTI’s second tier leadership knows that conditions may not improve for the party and its jailed leader until such time that the PTI social media and Imran Khan stop targeting the army and its top command.

Now that a delegation of US-based Pakistani doctors and businessmen has met a key official and Imran Khan, it would be interesting to see whether Khan and the party social media show some restraint. - The News