Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Rana Sanaullah has said that despite the government’s sincere efforts to initiate dialogue, it appears that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, is not interested in negotiations.
Speaking on Geo News programme Geo Pakistan, Rana Sanaullah stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after taking his party leader Nawaz Sharif and the establishment into confidence, formally offered talks to PTI. However, he said the government’s assessment is that Imran Khan himself does not want negotiations to move forward.
“PTI leaders keep saying that first a meeting should be arranged, and then they will try to convince the PTI founder,” Rana Sanaullah said. “But we understand that the PTI founder is not inclined towards talks.”
Referring to court proceedings, Rana Sanaullah said that a bench of the Islamabad High Court had clearly laid down a mechanism for meetings with the PTI founder. Under this mechanism, he explained, meetings were allowed on the condition that no political activities would take place afterward. He added that in the past, such meetings often led to political slogans, press conferences, noisy gatherings, and even scuffles.
He further said that PTI leader Salman Akram Raja had assured the court that the laid-down procedure would be followed. “If the meeting protocol is respected and the law is followed, then there should be no hurdle in holding meetings,” Rana Sanaullah said. “If jail authorities are not implementing the High Court’s orders, then why does PTI not approach the court again for enforcement?”
Responding to a question about the appointment of the opposition leader, the prime minister’s adviser said there should be no doubt about the government’s intentions. He maintained that the government was acting in good faith and was committed to upholding democratic norms and parliamentary traditions.
Rana Sanaullah said that when the prime minister extended an invitation for dialogue, the opposition initially responded by claiming that the prime minister did not have the authority to negotiate. “The prime minister has taken the establishment and his party leader Nawaz Sharif into confidence before offering talks,” he said. “Now that the offer is on the table, it should be accepted.”
He criticized the opposition’s shifting stance, saying that PTI now argues that whenever it announces a protest movement, the government starts talking about negotiations. According to Rana Sanaullah, the opposition believes its protest movement is close to success and suspects that the government’s call for talks is an attempt to trap it politically.
The senior PML-N leader said that the opposition should test its strength by going ahead with its planned wheel-jam strike on February 5. “They should go ahead and shut down the country on February 5, and then we can talk again,” he remarked.
Rana Sanaullah reiterated that PTI leaders repeatedly demand meetings with the PTI founder, saying that only after such meetings will they persuade him to agree to talks. “Our assessment is clear,” he said. “The PTI founder does not want negotiations.”
He also accused Imran Khan of having a history of refusing dialogue when in power. “When the PTI founder was in government, he did not engage in talks with the opposition,” Rana Sanaullah said. “Now, adopting a confrontational policy against the state will only cause him further political damage.”
According to Rana Sanaullah, politics of confrontation and continuous agitation would not benefit PTI or the country. He stressed that dialogue remains the only viable path forward to address political differences and stabilize the country’s fragile political and economic situation.
He concluded by warning that a collision-based approach with state institutions would ultimately harm the PTI founder himself. “History shows that confrontation leads nowhere,” he said. “If PTI truly wants political stability and relief for the people, it should come to the table with seriousness and sincerity.”
The remarks come at a time of heightened political tension, with PTI planning protest activities and the government repeatedly expressing willingness to resolve issues through dialogue. Whether talks will materialize remains uncertain, as mistrust continues to define relations between the government and the opposition.
