ISLAMABAD: Both direct and indirect channels of communication between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the country’s establishment have reportedly frozen, sources within the party said on Wednesday. Cabinet members who previously maintained informal or backchannel contacts with PTI are no longer engaging with the party on politically sensitive matters.
Read More: Reasons behind breakdown in PTI–Establishment contacts revealed
Senior PTI insiders told reporters that the breakdown in communications is largely due to the party’s ongoing protest campaigns and public criticism of state institutions. “Both things cannot go together,” a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity. “You cannot run protest movements, launch abusive campaigns against the establishment, and at the same time expect dialogue.”
8فروری کو احتجاج اور سڑکوں کی بندش کے اعلانات غبارے میں ہوا کی مانند۔غزہ امن بورڈ میں پاکستان کی شمولیت کا حماس کو اعتراض نہیں تو پی ٹی آئی کی مخالفت کی کیا حیثیت ہے ؟عالمی استحکام فورم میں شمولیت کا فیصلہ پارلیمنٹ کو اعتماد میں لئے بغیر نہیں ہوگا۔تجزیہ کار آفتاب نذیر… pic.twitter.com/Z623FWP01z
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Party leadership has largely accepted that the option for formal dialogue is currently closed, following directions from jailed founder and former chairman Imran Khan. In this context, PTI has announced peaceful, symbolic protests at the district and union council level on February 8, while large-scale mobilisations, particularly in Punjab, appear unlikely.
Sources within the party admitted that the most significant protest activity is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with limited participation elsewhere. “The leadership itself understands that the chances of a major breakthrough or any revolutionary outcome are extremely slim,” one source said, describing the February 8 protests as a political show of presence rather than a decisive confrontation.
Opposition leaders within the broader alliance, including Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, are reportedly considering pushing for dialogue after the protests, but any engagement would require the end of aggressive protest politics.
Read More: Imran Khan blocks PTI’s reconciliation efforts with establishment
Sources added that the country’s fragile economic situation has further narrowed the space for political unrest. Any political movement that threatens economic stability is unlikely to be tolerated. With these constraints, PTI’s future strategy beyond February 8 remains uncertain, and internal debates continue over whether prolonged confrontation is sustainable without dialogue, organisational capacity, and public mobilisation.