Govt gets harsher on Imrans harsh plan

Ahmad Hassan
Monday, December 01, 2014
From Print Edition

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ISLAMABAD: Imran Khans threats that the life of Nawaz Sharif government would not
remain as comfortable as it remained in last 110 days of tame sit-in beyond November 30
seemed to be becoming reality when he announced his plan C at D-chowk public rally.

The government apparently felt the announcement as too harsh and its reaction was even harsher.
The plan C was not sudden as everyone expected it from a frustrated Imran Khan to playing his
last card after failing to cow down the government by the longest dharna but the announcement
has proved too heavy. It looks government now feels the heat that has been mounted by Kaptan.

Oppositions political Jirga Chief Sirajul Haq however saw light at the end of tunnel saying, In
my opinion both the government and PTI will now come to terms on contentious issues and the
impasse would end soon. Talking to The News after PTI rally, Haq said, Jirga members would
meet and discuss all options today (Monday) and try to convince both the sides to agree on a
middle path instead of escalating tension.

He said they are in contact with both the parties although no meeting with PM was scheduled as
yet but possibilities are that he invites the members to discuss the formula forwarded to both the
parties. Sirajul Haq termed Sundays PTI meeting as impressive one and hoped it will help the
end of four months long political disturbance across the country. He advised the government not
to take IK threats easy and to take initiative to end further escalation. He asserted that both sides
have reached dark alley and both have to show political maturity by resuming dialogue as it was
necessary for a solution which is acceptable to the both.

On its part, no one but the government should blame itself for prolonging the political impasse
by continuously ignoring all the calls to mend its ways with the IK by constituting Judicial
Commission and giving it go-ahead on investigation as PTI chairman had made a retreat from his
demand of PMs resignation as prerequisite to ending his protest.

IKs plan of shutting down Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi and the whole country starting from
December 4 to t December 16 as part of his plan C means the government will also have to
adopt more preemptive political steps to thwart the new phase of protest which can cripple not
only the normal life in these cities but it can also reverse the modestly recovering economy.

But against the expectations, Federal Minister for information Senator Parvaiz Rashid who is
also spokesperson of PM House hit IK too hard by terming his plan C as rejected any chance
for entering in dialogue with the PTI chairman until what he described as revoking his anti-state
plan.

IKs entering into a danger zone of expanding his protest countrywide was already on cards as
the partys core committee had unanimously approved it on Saturday. The PTI has been
successful in mobilising the masses but any further lingering of his campaign can also cost him
his popularity due to common mans sense of fatigue.