Talks over? Imran lashes out at Shehbaz, COAS

Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan's official X (formerly Twitter) recent post on January 7 has lashed out at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir amidst ongoing dialogue between the government and PTI.

"I have witnessed all Martial Laws imposed on Pakistan during my lifetime, including those under Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Musharraf. What is happening in the country today in the guise of democracy can only be compared to Yahya Khan's era. In order to ensure that no one raises their voice against the ruler's transgressions, the first targets in martial law are democracy, an independent judiciary, and free media," read the long post by Imran Khan's official X account.

The government and PTI, for the first time in almost two years, have broken the ice by agreeing to talk their issue out for "greater national interests".

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is reportedly facilitating and leading the negotiations during which the PTI has repeatedly expressed concerns over authorities' alleged campaign to "dismantle" the opposition party.

Many analysts have opined that the social media accounts of PTI leaders, especially Imran Khan's official accounts, engage in exclusionary politics targeting state institutions, which could be a pressure tactic in negotiations.

Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, while talking to senior journalist Absar Alam on December 5, stated: "There needs to be a clear distinction between official PTI leaders' social media posts and certain rogue elements who align themselves with PTI. Many of my PTI friends get angry with me when I tell them there isn't much effort visible as it should be from PTI leaders to dissociate themselves from rogue elements."

The journalist questioned the former federal minister that apart from a few rogue elements the minister mentioned, PTI leaders' official accounts also engage in hateful politics, to which he replied: "When has Azhar Mashwani engaged in hateful posts against the country or establishment? In the case of Shahbaz Gill, a great injustice was done to him, and that is why sometimes he reacts angrily. Even you were treated unjustly. In my opinion, Shahbaz Gill is one of those people who were treated wrong, and that is why they're bitter."

"What kind of democracy is this where the name of the chairman of Pakistan's largest and most popular political party cannot even be mentioned in the media?" read the post by Imran Khan on X.

Imran Khan also criticised the ongoing proceedings of the Al-Qadir Trust case, saying: "The Al-Qadir Trust case, like previous cases, is being dragged on only to pressure me, but I demand its immediate resolution because, just as you were exposed in the Toshakhana and the Cipher cases, the same will happen now."

Criticising the government for handling the negotiations with PTI, Khan's post stated: "Bushra Khan has no contact with anyone. This is mere propaganda. Our negotiation committee is handling these matters. It has been six weeks since the Islamabad massacre, yet the government has made no progress in retrieving our missing persons. This highlights the government's lack of seriousness in conducting successful negotiations."