Sanaullah reiterates govt’s dialogue ‘offer’ to PTI, flays electoral boycott

• PM’s aide says government still open to political talks under ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’
• Slams PTI’s boycott of by-polls as anti-democratic and disruptive, accusing Imran Khan of spreading chaos from jail
• Claims there had been “no complaints” about the polling process, dismissing allegations of rigging or disturbances

FAISALABAD: PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah on Sunday reiterated the government’s offer to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold dialogue and resolve the long-standing political crises affecting the country.

“The government is committed to a peaceful, negotiated resolution and all political parties need to come together at the table to safeguard democracy and stability,” PM’s advisor Sanaullah emphasized while speaking to the media in Faisalabad.

“We are still in favour of politicians sitting together to resolve issues,” Sanaullah said, recalling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “unconditional offer” made in August to all political parties to join the ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’ (Charter for Stability of Pakistan). The senator stressed that dialogue, not confrontation, is the cornerstone of democratic progress, criticizing PTI Chairman Imran Khan for “always creating deadlocks” that undermine governance.

Sanaullah made these remarks as by-elections were underway in PP-116, where his son-in-law Ahmed Shaharyar is contesting as the PML-N candidate. On PTI’s official boycott of most by-elections, he stated bluntly: “Imran Khan sahib is not even doing politics. He has never done politics. It is this country’s and the public’s misfortune that he was brought [into power].” He accused the PTI of attempting to spread “chaos, anarchy, and fitna” from jail, citing examples from May 9 and November 26 protests.

Weeks of negotiations between the government and the PTI in December last year failed to yield results, with both sides blaming the other for derailing talks. Recently, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed that no negotiations were ongoing between the party, the federal government, or the military establishment.

On the by-election in Faisalabad, Sanaullah claimed there had been “no complaints” about the polling process, dismissing allegations of rigging or disturbances. “We hope that people will vote for service, progress, and solutions to their issues,” he said, describing PML-N as the only party deserving public support. Addressing low voter turnout, he noted that while general elections usually attract 50 to 60 percent participation, by-polls often see only 25 to 30 percent turnout on average.

The senator warned against attempts to inject “hatred and enmity” into politics, citing past events like October 12, 1999, and elections in 2017–2018. Highlighting his own track record, he said: “I contested seven elections in my constituency, out of which I won five. My performance is in front of everyone.”

Sanaullah also praised the return of a “development era” under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, noting that certain projects in Faisalabad worth Rs70 billion, including a metro scheme and a fresh water supply plan, were temporarily halted in compliance with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rules. “We requested to halt them so people cannot say these were started just for elections,” he added.

The PML-N leader’s remarks underscore the party’s dual approach of emphasizing dialogue for political stability while highlighting its governance and development record ahead of ongoing and upcoming electoral contests.