Reconciliation efforts between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the military establishment have reportedly gained pace, with a group of former PTI leaders quietly intensifying backchannel contacts in recent weeks.
According to sources, the group—comprising Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail and Mahmood Maulvi—is seeking to lower the country’s political temperature, particularly by reducing long-standing tensions between PTI and the military establishment.
These efforts are said to be taking place under the umbrella of a National Negotiation Committee, which also includes a number of influential overseas Pakistanis. Sources claim the three leaders are in contact with a senior “official” as well as government ministers in an attempt to secure limited relief for PTI and create space for dialogue.
Unlike earlier initiatives that revolved around PTI founder Imran Khan’s incarceration at Adiala Jail, the current focus has shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail, where several senior PTI leaders are currently detained.
Those imprisoned include Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Umar Cheema and Dr Yasmin Rashid.
Interestingly, all these leaders have previously expressed open support for negotiations, describing dialogue as the only viable path forward. Imran Khan, however, has rejected this position, publicly ruling out talks at any level and insisting that street protests remain the sole option.
Sources say the strategy being pursued by the three former leaders is to pave the way for the release of PTI figures held at Kot Lakhpat Jail. They believe this would allow a leadership to emerge that, in their view, better understands ground realities and is willing to adopt a more moderate and pragmatic approach.
Fawad Chaudhry has confirmed that a National Negotiation Committee has been formed to normalise the political environment and bring an end to prolonged confrontation between PTI and the military establishment. He said the initiative began a few weeks ago but suffered a setback following a tweet issued from Adiala Jail.
According to Chaudhry, committee members have already met PTI leaders imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat Jail, while several influential overseas Pakistanis have also joined the effort. He claimed that if the reconciliation initiative succeeds, these overseas Pakistanis are prepared to invest up to $1 billion in Pakistan.
He added that the group has once again reached out to the government to assess the prospects for meaningful negotiations.
Sources further revealed that a meeting of several former PTI leaders was held a few months ago to discuss ways to normalise the political situation. Participants included Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, Mahmood Maulvi, Asad Umar, Shafqat Mahmood and Ghulam Sarwar.
However, no consensus could be reached on a unified course of action. Following this, the three leaders decided to move ahead independently with what they consider a workable plan.
Meanwhile, some PTI leaders have criticised these efforts, linking them to a so-called “minus Imran” formula and describing them as part of a government-backed conspiracy.