Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has hinted at opening up a dialogue channel with the military establishment while ruling out any backdoor negotiations.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, the PML-N leader said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership would consider talking to army generals but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will have to go home first.
She claimed that the establishment approached a number of her party leaders, but no one has approached her directly with an offer to sort things out. She said the PML-N respects the army as an institution, but it has no authority to transgress beyond its role enshrined in the constitution.
According to Maryam, there will be no secrecy in talks with the army generals, everything will take place in front of the people of Pakistan.
Responding to her critics who said the PML-N’s anti-narrative was harmful to the party, Maryam said the anti-establishment line that the party has adopted has attracted thousands of people across Pakistan. The massive gatherings in Gujranwala, Karachi, and Quetta are proof of the PML-N’s popularity, she added.
In a comment on the interview, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the PML-N only wants an end to the cases against its leadership.
In a tweet, he said if the PML-N is not willing to talk to the military or the government, then it is difficult for him to comprehend their narrative.
