Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has called on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to abandon its plans for long marches and avoid violence, saying that the government is prepared to discuss political issues with the opposition.
Speaking in Islamabad on Wednesday, Sanaullah maintained that negotiations remained open but warned that the government will not accept demands made through political instability or by “holding the state hostage”.
“The doors of negotiations are open,” Sanaullah said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited the opposition, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and PTI for talks.
He urged political parties to resolve disputes through dialogue and prioritise national interests over political objectives.
He also accused the PTI of seeking to create political instability and of introducing a culture of intolerance, abuse and hostility into politics.
Sanaullah also called on PTI and provincial governments to support the federal government’s position on the fight against terrorism and what he described as foreign aggression.
He argued that terrorism was a national issue that should be kept separate from political demands, urging the PTI to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities.
“PTI should stand with the federal government in the fight against terrorism,” he stressed.
Sanaullah also criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, accusing it of encouraging people to march towards Islamabad while security personnel and civilians were being killed there.
He claimed a large number of those killed in terrorism-related incidents belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including police and other law enforcement personnel.
“On one hand, the martyrs’ bodies were lying there, and on the other hand, the entire provincial government was playing the dhol and chanting slogans, urging people to join the march on Islamabad,” Sanaullah pointed out.
Sanaullah also criticised political messaging on social media, emphasising that negative narratives were damaging the dialogue process.
He maintained that meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan will take place according to the law, while reiterating that the government could not be pressured into accepting political demands through unrest or instability.
