ISLAMABAD - Perhaps providing a way forward to the government to end the present political turmoil in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan Wednesday said his party was ready for a probe into rigging allegations in 2013 General Elections under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
Khan gave a hint that the present deadlock could be broken if investigations into the rigging allegations in the general elections were held under the supervision of the apex court, but at the same time he said, “Our sit-in will continue and will end it like Dr Tahirul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).”
The prime minister had already proposed a commission comprising SC judges, but PTI had rejected the proposal, disagreeing with the ToRs (terms of reference) of the commission and on the definition of rigging.
After trading barbs, the two coalition partners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government reached a ceasefire after leaders of the parties met in Islamabad here on Wednesday.
PTI chief Imran Khan, who had publicly accused JI of ‘playing on both sides of the wicket’, on Wednesday visited the residence of JI Amir Sirajul Haq in a posh sector of the capital to meet him. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Speaker Asad Qaiser and other cabinet members of the provincial government were present at the meeting.
The relations between PTI and JI had soared after a statement of Sirajul Haq published in a newspaper saying PTI and PML-N were two sides of the same coin. Imran Khan had strongly reacted to the statement and accused JI of playing on both sides of the wicket.
After the meeting, the PTI chairman said, “We are ready for investigations into the rigging in 2013 General Elections under the supervision of the Supreme Court within a specified period of time.” He also said they could end sit-in if investigations were held into the matter and at the same time said his sit-in would continue. Khan reminded, “The government should not be in misunderstanding that PTI would end their sit-in like Dr Tahirul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek. We will continue our struggle until we get justice,” he said. Khan also reiterated his stance that independent and impartial investigations into the rigging of the general elections could not be held till Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif remained in office. He also said as far as the culprits involved in the election rigging were brought to justice, the system could not be changed.  He said the Election Commission of Pakistan and returning officers were accomplices of PML-N in the election rigging.
The PTI chairman said his party was very close to JI, ideologically, and both the parties would collectively continue their efforts to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state in its real sense.
JI Amir Sirajul Haq, while talking to reporters, endorsed the major demands of PTI in connection with the election rigging and said: “We support PTI demands, including investigations into election rigging, restructuring of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and introduction of electoral reforms. We understand that the status of 2013 General Elections was doubtful and if next elections are under the present commission, it would be difficult for the nation to accept the results.” He also held responsible the incumbent government for the present political crisis in the country and said it was not resolving the crisis through negotiations and was using delaying tactics. “The government should resolve the crisis through talks,” he said.
According to an insider of PTI, JI made it clear to the PTI that the statement was wrongly attributed to its chief. Both the sides agreed that merely a statement should not affect their mutual working relations.
He further said both the sides agreed to continue the working relations in the KP government and make it stronger.  He also said that the JI amir also got a go ahead from the PTI chief to negotiate with the government to start the stalled dialogue process.