PML-N not concerned by any talks between army, PTI: Ahsan Iqbal

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that the PML-N does not have reason to worry in the case of any talks between the military and PTI.

In an interview with Voice of America Urdu on Thursday, he was questioned if his party would have issue with any talks between the military and the opposition PTI to which he said: “I don’t think we will face any problems and neither would the thinking exist in the military to interfere in politics again.”

After days of speculation about a possible softening of his stance against the establishment, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had categorically said on Tuesday that his party was ready for talks with the military establishment.

Speaking to reporters at Adiala jail, the PTI founder laid down three preconditions: the return of his party’s ‘stolen mandate’, the release of all detained party workers, and the holding of transparent elections.

Addressing the development in today’s interview, Iqbal said that according to the military’s spokesperson, the army had clearly and categorically stated that after its “2018 experience”, it had decided on an institutional level to separate itself from politics.

Iqbal questioned that if Imran believed the military establishment should stay neutral regarding politics, then why had he agreed to negotiations with it.

He said that PTI should apologise to the institutions, adding that the party’s offensive position against the state would not yield anything.

“On one hand Imran says the military should be neutral […] then he says animals are neutral. He said the army chief is the father of the nation and then he called them Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq,” Iqbal said.

“Imran said he was fighting for civil supremacy and the military has no part in politics. If the army is not to have any part in politics then what dialogue do they want to have with them?” Iqbal asked

Institutions can move forward on banning PTI if they have a ‘strong case’

Regarding a potential ban on the PTI, Iqbal said institutions could always move forward with it if and when they had evidence for a strong case against the party.

He that a lot of information had surfaced that the party’s social media was “under the control of Pakistan’s enemy”.

Iqbal said that given a lot of alleged evidence existed against PTI, the information minister must have received reports based on which he announced the ban.

He added that the decision, which would be thoroughly investigated, would be taken according to the law and Constitution.

“This [ban] cannot be done via a notification […] and if the government is to take this decision then the decision should be so strong that it can stand the scrutiny of law.”