There are some renewed efforts being made from within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and by the Punjab Chief Minister to stop party Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan from confronting the military establishment, sources said.Informed sources said that from the PTI, the person who is working really hard in this respect is former Minister Faisal Vawda, The News reported.
Pervez Khattak, the former Defence Minister, is also making efforts, they added.From the PML-Q, the coalition partner of PTI in Punjab, the province's Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and his son Moonis are also pressing Khan to cool down.The PTI Chairman is being advised that confrontation with the establishment will not benefit the party or him.
He is warned that it will be damaging for the PTI as well as for the institution and the country, The News reported.These sources indicate that these efforts may soften Khan vis-a-vis the military establishment and in the coming days such a change could be noticed.
Interestingly, there are many in the PTI leadership, who are unhappy with Khan's aggression towards the establishment but only a few dare to talk about this on his face, The News quoted the sources as saying.There are some hawkish elements in the party who not only endorse Khan's hard talk against the military but also poison him with conspiracy theories and wrong information in order to fuel the confrontation.
Strangely the former premier, during the recent weeks and months, has been more inclined to the advice of hawkish elements than those who have been warning him of the risks and dangers linked with the policy of confrontation.Of late, in a high-level party meeting, Vawda had warned Khan that some senior leaders around him are playing the role of snake in the grass to get him disqualified and pave the way for their possible premiership, the sources added.