he ruling coalition and the Pakistan Teheek-i-Insaf have formally started a dialogue to bring down the heightened political temperature. The parties have come to the negotiating table amidst trust deficit on both sides. Rumours are rife about a possible military court trial of PTI’s supremo Imran Khan and of a ‘deal’ with the establishment.

The PTI has withdrawn its two key demands, lending credence to the perception that the party wishes to avoid military court trials of Khan and other senior leaders. Military courts have already convicted a number of PTI activists in May 9-related cases. Former spy master Faiz Hameed is also facing a court-martial. These developments, some say, appear to have made an otherwise aggressive PTI go on the back foot. A few weeks ago, PTI’s hawkish leaders, known for their proximity to Khan, had repeatedly rejected the idea of a dialogue with the political leadership, saying that the “power lies with the military establishment,” and therefore, holding talks with the political government was useless. Now, some of them, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, are part of the PTI’s dialogue team. During the November protest in Islamabad, Gandapur had said that the PTI would hold a dialogue only after the release of Imran Khan. That stance has evidently........

© The News on Sunday