Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that Imran Khan himself is the main obstacle in the path of negotiations, and until the PTI founder adopts a clear dialogue policy, talks at any level cannot move forward.
Speaking during a television program, Rana Sanaullah said it is not possible that the prime minister would have made an offer for negotiations without first taking Nawaz Sharif or the establishment into confidence, as such major decisions are not made without consultation.
He said that second- or third-tier PTI leaders claim they want dialogue, but unless a formal negotiation policy is set by the PTI founder, repeated meetings will not lead to any outcome. He added that the PTI founder has not authorized anyone to negotiate, and Alima Khan herself has stated that whoever negotiates is not part of them.
Rana Sanaullah said that PTI has conveyed a message of a wheel-jam strike, and the reality is that the PTI founder remains the hurdle in negotiations. He stated that from 2011 to the present day, the PTI founder has obstructed dialogue and does not want negotiations, while the government’s position on talks is completely clear and the ambiguity lies on the other side.
He said it is also claimed that permission has been given to certain individuals for negotiations, whereas the decision ultimately has to be made by the leadership itself. He remarked that if someone is not in favor of dialogue and prefers confrontation, they should state it clearly. He questioned whether any benefit was achieved from the PTI founder’s previous meeting and asked why PTI does not openly say that the prime minister’s offer has been received and specify when they will come for talks.
The adviser said that the prime minister has even stated that if others do not come to him, he is willing to come to the Speaker’s Chamber, without imposing any conditions. He said that if PTI wants to meet the prime minister, they should do so directly, and if they cannot move forward without permission, they should raise this point during the meeting.
Rana Sanaullah further said that the prime minister had also talked about negotiations at the time of budget approval, when it was again demanded that a meeting with the PTI founder be arranged. He added that PTI had earlier stated they could not sit for talks without permission. He said that if PTI members approach the Speaker’s Office, arrangements for their meeting with the prime minister can be made, where both sides can present their positions and take the process forward.
He also said that he believes the Speaker will now decide the matter of the opposition leader during the National Assembly session, as the request has already been decided and the opposition has submitted a copy of the decision to the Speaker’s Office. He added that PTI should engage in negotiations with the prime minister and then discuss whatever it wants, stressing that the government has not excluded anyone and that attempts were instead made to exclude them.
