President Arif Alvi and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met for the second time in 17 days on Wednesday, in yet another attempt to bring the government and the PTI to the table and quell political tensions through dialogue.
While the meeting reflects the government’s intention to meet with the main opposition party to ease political tensions, the administration is also said to have maintained its position that it would negotiate with the PTI only if the talks were unconditional and without any pressure.
The recent meeting between President Arif Alvi and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to figure out how to break the political deadlock between the PDM and PTI is a welcome step, even if much more work remains to be done before there is any hope of a major breakthrough.
It should be noted that the two met late last month, shortly before the announcement of the new army chief, when there was widespread speculation that the president would throw a wrench in the works and delay the appointment using his powers.
That meeting appears to have been fruitful, as what had become a major political stumbling block was eventually resolved without new controversy or ugliness from either side. It appears that the earlier interaction gave the two enough confidence to begin talking about the other major issues on the table, and it is encouraging to note that both see a chance for success.
According to President Alvi, Mr. Dar, who has been acting as PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s personal representative, discussed the various options on the table for both sides and promised to get back to him after consulting with his party leaders on certain suggestions.
In a TV interview, the president outlined the main points of the meeting, including the possibility of early elections. Though he understandably wanted to avoid disclosing what was discussed, it is clear what cards the PDM and PTI hold. The PTI appears to be using the weakening economy as leverage and can continue to cause the government grief over any painful course correction measures it takes.
The PDM appears to recognise that it cannot solve the economic crisis without causing harm to itself, but it also has significant executive power as long as it is in the federal government and is unwilling to give it up by capitulating to the PTI. As a result, we have a demand for no-strings-attached dialogue.
As a result, the economy serves as the basis for the negotiations. Neither side can be held solely responsible for the current state of affairs, but both must acknowledge their role in precipitating the current crises. If they can then jointly negotiate a course to guide the economy out of its current crisis, we can hope for smooth sailing until the next election, whenever that may be.
If they do not, for whatever selfish reasons, they endanger the well-being of the citizens of this country. It is time for both parties to be flexible and recognise that the future of more than 240 million people is at stake. The PDM and PTI must reach an agreement on the path to the next elections and establish new ground rules for their future political engagement.
