Shehbaz Sharif Rejects Imran Khan’s Offer of Dialogue

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday rejected calls for dialogue by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, stressing that “anarchists and arsonists who wear the garb of politicians” do not qualify for dialogue.

Without naming the PTI chief or his party, the prime minister acknowledged the role of dialogue in helping democracies mature and evolve. “Many political and constitutional breakthroughs occurred when political leaders sat across the table to craft a consensus,” he said.

“However,” he added, “there is a major difference here, the anarchists and arsonists who wear the garb of politicians and attack the symbols of the state do not qualify for a dialogue.” Instead of indulging such elements with negotiations, he said, they should be held to account for their “militant” actions. “This is the prevalent practice even in developed democracies,” he added.

For nearly a year after his ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office through a vote of no-confidence, Khan had been maintaining that he would not sit for dialogue “with thieves and looters,” instead indicating that he would only be amenable to negotiations with the security establishment. However, following the May 9 riots triggered by his arrest that saw the destruction of various civil and military installations and monuments and led to the exodus of over 100 leaders and workers from the party, the PTI chief is on the back-foot and has now expressed willingness to talk to “anyone who is power.”

Last week, Khan announced he had formed a seven-member committee of party leaders for his effort, adding that if the group can be convinced that the country would benefit without him, he would “leave” politics. Additionally, he said, the committee would need to be convinced of the benefits of simultaneous general elections nationwide in October, rather than “immediately,” as he has been demanding.

However, in contrast to earlier calls for the PTI to engage in dialogue, the ruling coalition does not appear willing to cooperate after the May 9 riots, which have been described by the military as a “black day” in Pakistan’s history. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, last week, told media that he had been a major proponent of talks with the PTI, but neither he, nor the Pakistan Peoples Party has the “space” to lessen the impact of the May 9 riots. ““Now PTI will have to face the laws,” he said. Similarly, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has also rejected the PTI chief’s offer for talks, maintaining no dialogue is possible with those who “set the country on fire, create chaos and anarchy, fill the minds of masses with hatred, and harbor armed groups.”