Audio of Bushra Bibi from key meeting leaked despite phone ban,
Islamabad-Mudassar Iqbal/Webdesk)-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is considering calling off its protest after receiving assurances that their demands will be met. This development comes as PTI, the main opposition party in Pakistan, has been engaged in protests against the government.
The initial contact was positive. Senior Journalist Insar Abbasi has the names of contact persons from both sides but the information was shared on the condition that their names will not be disclosed.
It is said that disclosure of these names at this point would spoil the effort being made to amicably settle the issues between the PTI and the government (particularly the establishment).
According to the source, the government’s contact person will take the powers that be into confidence and if things proceed positively, the PTI may call off its November 24 protest march in return for some assurances for meeting their demands.
It is said that Tuesday’s apex committee meeting may be critically important to set the tone for whether the two sides will talk or continue the ongoing confrontation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has already said that he would raise in the apex committee the issue of Imran Khan, the PTI and the ongoing tension between his party and the military establishment.
The apex committee, which is chaired by the prime minister, comprises the country’s top civil and military leadership.
Therefore, Gandapur will have the opportunity to talk about the irritants between the PTI and the establishment in a platform where he would be sitting face to face with the top military leadership including Army Chief General Asim Munir and all intelligence chiefs.
In case the decision is taken to start a dialogue between the two sides, it is said, the talks will be held between the PTI and the government. Military establishment may not be part of such a dialogue but in matters relating to PTI, the government’s negotiators would require the former’s nod before agreeing to any point.
According to a source, even the PTI leaders, no matter what they say in public, know that in case of initiation of dialogue, their demands cannot be met forthwith.
Presently, the start of the dialogue process would mean a big development. Initiation of the dialogue process, it is said, may persuade the PTI to call off its November 24 protest march to Islamabad where the party has announced to stage a sit-in until their demands are met.
The PTI, which claims to stage a big show in Islamabad on November 24, is already worn out by the hardships and political outcomes of its confrontation with the military establishment.
There is discussion even within the PTI that it should stop targeting the institution and its top leadership as it did not work in the past and will not do well in the future.
Earlier,
In light of concerns over a potential audio leak involving PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, the party imposed a ban on mobile phones during meetings, sources said on Monday. Despite that, an audio of her has surfaced online.
Khan has urged his followers to march towards Islamabad on November 24 for the “restoration” of democracy and the judiciary. Ruling coalition leaders have slammed the PTI for causing unrest in the country with such protests.
In reaction, the PTI founder set four demands for ending the protest. They are related to the recent steps taken by the government like the 26th Constitutional Amendment. According to former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, Khan’s demands “are not wrong.”
Special arrangements were made for the former first lady during meetings to prevent any leaks. The ban on mobile devices was strictly enforced, with phones confiscated from members and officials in previous meetings.
Bibi’s audio leak was the “primary reason” behind the mobile phone ban in such gatherings, they added.
In the audio, she can be heard saying, “I bring the message of the PTI founder. No one should say tomorrow that they didn’t receive it; everyone has been informed.”
Khan’s wife further urged that each MPA should bring a “convoy of 5,000 people and each MNA 10,000,” declaring, “No one should say they were arrested; the process of arrests will begin now, and you must strategize to avoid capture.”
She added that all officials should prepare alternatives in case of arrests, saying: “If someone gets arrested, then the convoy will be led by an alternative leader. We don’t want to hear excuses later about arrests or shelling. All officials should take pictures and videos inside their vehicles and share them with us.”
Moreover, Bibi has urged party leaders to deliver videos to both domestic and international media as soon as they are available online. She warned that those who fail to provide evidence would not receive tickets in the future.
“This is not just a struggle for the PTI founder but for the freedom of the country,” she said and insisted on the importance of keeping international media engaged. “November 24 will test your loyalty to the founder and the nation. We are a proud and resilient nation; those who are true and honorable will stand with the founder.”
The former first lady cautioned that any internal disputes affecting the protest would lead to “severe” consequences. “Whenever there is division, figures like Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq begin to rear their heads,” she added, highlighting the need for unity within the party as tensions rise.
Bibi stressed that it is the third term of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with leadership having shifted from Pervez Khattak to Mahmood Khan and now to Ali Amin Gandapur. While the positions of chief minister and ministers may change, she said that internal disputes should be avoided.
“Everyone will not always hold political office; positions and chairs are transient,” she said and called for unity within the party despite the changes in leadership.
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