ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah on Friday reaffirmed that the government’s offer of political dialogue to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remains open.
Responding to a point of public importance raised by opposition Senator Mishal Azam during a Senate session, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call for talks with the opposition “still stands,” stressing that political disputes can only be resolved through constructive engagement.
The premier has repeatedly invited the PTI—whose founder, former prime minister Imran Khan, remains in jail—to resume reconciliation talks, most recently during the four-day Pakistan-India armed confrontation.
Formal talks between the PML-N-led government and the PTI began in late December following months of heightened political tensions. Three rounds were held on December 27, January 2, and January 16. However, the process stalled when PTI declined to participate further—initially claiming that Khan had cancelled the talks, and later saying they were only paused.
After PTI skipped the fourth round, the prime minister proposed forming a parliamentary committee to take the process forward—a proposal rejected by PTI.
During Friday’s proceedings, Sanaullah urged the PTI leadership to return to the negotiating table, remarking that “democracy progresses through dialogue, not deadlock.” He lamented that PTI leaders “are unwilling to speak to us,” while those they wish to engage with “are not prepared to talk to them.”
Commenting on meetings with the jailed former prime minister, he said any interaction with under-trial prisoners must comply with jail rules and public safety considerations. “Such meetings cannot be permitted if they risk disturbing public order,” he added.
Sanaullah also stated that if the opposition wants to propose a parliamentary committee, they must first secure clarity and instructions from their own leadership.
Talal likens Imran to MQM founder
Separately, Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry claimed that concerns about Imran Khan’s political role “were raised two decades ago,” alleging that the PTI founder sought to discredit national institutions.
He argued that PTI’s actions were “against the country” and said the party “cannot be classified as a political organisation.”
Chaudhry said the government would carefully consider the points raised by the military spokesperson in his latest briefing, recalling how MQM-P had distanced itself from its founder Altaf Hussain.
He further claimed that while all political parties had faced terrorist attacks, PTI had not—suggesting a possible link between the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and PTI.
Talal added that Imran Khan’s conduct resembled that of the MQM founder, alleging that “he has never uttered a single word against Israel to this day.”
