Islamabad, Pakistan: Last week’s rapid political developments and demands tabled by PTI for negotiations with the government are nothing but seeking to lead to a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) for former prime minister Imran Khan, suggest the circumstances.
A couple of days ago, Imran Khan claimed that he did not need any NRO, nor did he demand it. However, close-door development indicated that he had already demanded NRO for himself. Moreover, demands submitted by PTI also suggest that its demand can only be met through an executive order as the accused in the May 9 events have already been punished by courts and verdicts have been announced and Imran Khan himself is an accused in the May 9 events. Since only higher courts can decide future verdicts therefore only an executive order can revert the situation regarding the court’s decisions. This is only possible through a National Reconciliation Ordinance.
The demands presented by PTI during the third round of talks between the government and PTI on January 16, 2025, include the first demand for the establishment of a Judicial Commission for the incidents of May 9 and November 26, while the second demand is seeking legal assistance, i.e. relief, for all political prisoners.
PTI has called for the formation of a transparent Judicial Commission headed by the Chief Justice or Supreme Court judges to investigate the arrest of Imran Khan and the protests on May 9, 2023. Furthermore, the party has requested legal assistance and fair trial for those arrested in connection with the May 9 protests and the November 2024 protests. Recently, the founder of PTI announced that he would withdraw his demands such as the 26th Constitutional Amendment and the return of the mandate.
Government circles believe that PTI’s demand for the establishment of a Judicial Commission can be entertained but this judicial commission should not only investigate the incidents of May 9 or November 26, but its scope should start from the 2014 sit-ins and this judicial commission should also investigate all the disturbances, riots, rallies, processions, sit-ins and long marches organized by PTI till November 26, 2024, then everything will be fine. As far as the release of political prisoners, in which there is a hint towards the release of the founder of PTI, all their cases are pending in the courts and it is not likely that their release can be possible through an executive order. The question is, is PTI expecting the government to do all this by influencing the judicial system?
The point is that on one hand, PTI is presenting demands and is busy in efforts to get relief through the negotiation process, and at the same time, it is being threatened that if a judicial commission is not formed, then the negotiations may end. They should be asked whether the negotiations are the government’s compulsion or the PTI’s compulsion. At the same time, PTI has also given a deadline of 7 days for the approval of the demands. Can the government or the state be forced to approve the demands through intimidation?
The fact that the PTI’s negotiating committee is seeking concessions like NRO is proof that its narrative was just to mislead the public. The fact is that the founder of PTI and his party see that the state is not ready to be blackmailed by anyone in any way. The state is moving forward with confidence. On the other hand, it is also clear that from the cipher to November 26, the founder of PTI has played all the chaotic cards and now he has reached a dead end and the only way out of it is to accept the state’s word and a loud and clear message had been conveyed to PTI recently that whatever PTI wants, it should only and only talk with the political government.
