By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Amid a deepening political deadlock that has gripped Pakistan for months, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted on Friday that the government was not demanding the exclusion of Imran Khan, the jailed founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, as a prerequisite for negotiations.
Dismissing notions of political vendettas, Rana Sanaullah, who serves as the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, insisted that the coalition government seeks no one’s ouster. “We neither seek to minus anyone nor consider it politically viable. Similar efforts were made to sideline us in the past.”
The statement from Sanaullah indicates the ruling coalition’s openness to dialogue while placing the onus on the PTI to reciprocate. It followed Sanaullah’s proposal a day earlier for “confidence-building measures” among the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the PTI, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the military to ease tensions.
Speaking at a local television channel, Sanaullah said Sharif had consulted key figures, including his brother Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader; President Asif Ali Zardari; and the powerful military establishment before extending the olive branch. “The PM has invited the opposition to meet in the National Assembly chamber if they do not want to visit” his office, he said, adding that as leader of the House, Sharif views such engagement as central to sustaining parliamentary democracy.
Yet Sanaullah voiced frustration over the PTI’s reluctance, attributing the impasse directly to Khan. He noted that while midlevel PTI figures and allies in the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan alliance have signalled interest in talks, progress remains stalled. “Nothing could materialise unless Imran Khan’s policy changes in favour of dialogue,” Sanaullah said.
He cited a message from Khan, relayed by his sister Aleema Khan, declaring that “anyone who talks about negotiations is not among us.” Instead, Khan has advocated “street agitation and a wheel-jam strike,” Sanaullah added, and instructed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to rally support across Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh provinces. The adviser described Khan as the primary “hindrance” to reconciliation efforts dating back to 2011, warning that without his endorsement, any discussions would falter. “PTI’s second- or third-tier leadership says they want dialogue, but until the founder supports it, no matter how many meetings take place, nothing will happen,” he said.
Sharif’s latest overture followed his December remarks, when he reaffirmed readiness for talks but limited them to “legitimate matters.” That followed a national conference convened by the TTAP, where attendees from diverse political factions concurred that in a democracy, avenues for negotiation should always stay open. On the same occasion, prominent leaders, including PML-N veterans, advocated for moderation to avert further instability and violence fueled by partisan clashes.
The quest for talks between the government and the PTI, which has simmered since last year, has gained urgency as economic woes and security threats mount. Sanaullah rebuked the opposition for not formally responding to the prime minister’s invitation or signalling intent to convene. “The PM has said there are no conditions — if they want to meet the prime minister, then come to the Speaker’s chamber,” he said. “If they cannot move forward without permission, they should at least say that in the meeting.” He called on the PTI to lay out its positions, promising that Sharif would reciprocate.
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