3rd May, India
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir visited jailed former PM Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.
The ongoing scenario in Pakistan is indicating a dramatic change in political balances. Amid escalating tensions and possible military actions after the recent terrorist strike in Pahalgam.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir are said to have made an unscheduled visit to ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Friday. The surprise visit, confirmed by senior sources, follows worsening political turmoil and backchannel talks in the runup to the next national elections.
Sources report that four retired military officers have been dispatched to Imran Khan to convince him to make the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) refrain from opposing Asim Munir and to keep protests on hold in Sindh.
Then-PM Imran Khan dismissed ISI Chief Asim Munir following the Pulwama attack in 2019, ahead of the scheduled end of his term. It was the first time in ISI history. Since then, Asim Munir and Imran Khan’s relationship has been very tense.
It is felt that because of this hostility, Asim Munir concocted a plan to imprison Imran. Presently, the very same Asim Munir has to call on the aid of Imran Khan.
The visit lasted more than an hour and featured a closed-door discussion among the three leaders. Officials with knowledge of the issue say. Details of the conversation are not yet known, but sources indicate that the discussion was aimed at ending the existing political stalemate and possibilities of wider national reconciliation.
The unprecedented simultaneous visit of the civilian and military authorities to the jail has generated widespread speculation. The analysts believe it to be a turning point, as this could mean that the power centers are trying to win Khan’s cooperation to stabilize the political environment.
The gathering has ignited a whirlwind of response both in social media and among politicians, with some taking it as an initiative to a dialogue, and others decrying it as a token of backstage bargaining of power.
