Rana Sanaullah calls for trust-building among top leadership to break political deadlock

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah on Thursday stressed the need for confidence-building measures and sustained engagement among the country’s top political leadership, saying no political breakthrough was possible without trust at the highest level.

Speaking in a TV talk show, Sanaullah said meaningful progress required dialogue among the country’s “top five” political figures, naming PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and PTI founder Imran Khan, though he did not identify the fifth personality.

Sanaullah, who also serves as the prime minister’s adviser on political and public affairs, said the country would remain stuck in political deadlock unless trust was restored among top leaders, adding that informal or lower-level contacts would not resolve the crisis.

Responding to PTI leader Amir Dogar’s request for him to take the lead in creating an atmosphere conducive to dialogue, Sanaullah said his personal engagement with Dogar would not result in any meaningful breakthrough, reiterating that progress required engagement at the top leadership level.

He also called for shutting down social media accounts running campaigns against state institutions, saying such accounts must be closed. Rejecting PTI leadership’s claim that it had no control over those accounts, he said the party could not absolve itself of responsibility and should publicly disassociate itself from such campaigns.

“If the intent is political propaganda, it should be directed against rival political parties and leaders, not state institutions,” he said.

Warning the PTI against its February 8 protest call, Sanaullah said the appeal would fail and the party would be unable to paralyse the country. He cautioned that any attempt to enforce a wheel-jam strike would invite strict action, leading to further losses for the party, and urged the PTI to withdraw the call.

Meanwhile, Amir Dogar said his party faced political victimisation in 2025 and expressed hope that 2026 would mark an end to targeted actions. He said the country had achieved a degree of political and economic stability over the past year.

Dogar stressed that meetings with Imran Khan should be allowed so that ground realities could be discussed and advice sought on possible solutions. He specifically urged the government to permit the opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly — Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Achakzai — to meet the PTI founder, saying such engagement could help resolve disputes and end ongoing conflicts.

In response, Sanaullah said ending anti-institution social media campaigns could help improve the political climate and facilitate meetings with the PTI founder, contributing to the resolution of political tensions.

Sanaullah also disclosed that during a recent meeting between Imran Khan and his sister, the jail superintendent instructed her not to speak to the media after the visit, highlighting restrictions surrounding such high-profile interactions.

Emphasising the need for high-level consultations, Dogar said a meeting among the country’s top political leaders could help end the political impasse. While acknowledging that such a breakthrough might not be immediate, he said political dialogue must continue and doors to engagement should remain open.