Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja stated on Friday that the “system” would soon realize it cannot move forward without the Imran Khan-founded party. His comments came a day after PTI rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to resume stalled talks with the ruling coalition, sparking speculation about potential political instability.
PTI appears to be shifting into “agitation mode.” Earlier this week, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar hinted at multiple options, including district-level protests against alleged rigging in last year’s general elections and a large demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk. Akbar emphasized that PTI’s willingness to engage in dialogue was misinterpreted as weakness. He also suggested that the party’s current “homoeopathic leadership” would be replaced by “hardliners” during its reorganization.
Speaking on a local TV show, Raja reiterated PTI’s commitment to moving forward in line with the Constitution and the law. He asserted that PTI, as Pakistan’s largest political party, aims to bring stability to the country. “We believe that PTI’s presence is providing stability. If you try to sideline PTI, which is impossible, extremist elements will gain strength. The system will soon realize it cannot progress without us,” he said.
Raja also denied any backdoor talks with the government, stating that such contacts were unnecessary. Meanwhile, during Geo News’ programme Naya Pakistan, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a spokesperson for the government’s negotiation team, claimed that PTI had already decided to quit the dialogue process on January 23, well before their own deadline. Siddiqui accused PTI of lacking flexibility in their demands and criticized their approach to negotiations.
“PTI mistakenly entered the dialogue process because it’s not their area of expertise. Their specialty is blocking roads, staging sit-ins, and using petrol bombs,” Siddiqui remarked. He also warned that the state would protect its citizens if PTI resorted to violent protests.
On the topic of the controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, Siddiqui acknowledged that the government passed the legislation in haste but added that the issue could still be resolved. “PECA is not something that cannot be fixed,” he said.
As political tensions rise, PTI’s shift toward agitation and the government’s hardening stance suggest a challenging road ahead for Pakistan’s political landscape. The coming days will reveal whether dialogue can be revived or if the country is headed toward further instability.
