- PM Shehbaz offers talks unconditionally.
- No demand to sideline Imran Khan.
- PTI founder remains key negotiation hurdle.
The prolonged political friction between Pakistan’s primary political forces continues, yet the ruling party is reportedly attempting to ease tensions by clarifying its stance on opposition engagement. Rana Sanaullah, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs, stated unequivocally on Friday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has not placed a “minus Imran Khan” clause on the table for political negotiations [Source: Geo News].
This clarification follows a prior proposal by the premier’s adviser, who had suggested that confidence-building measures among the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) could effectively reduce the current high political temperature.
Speaking during the Geo News program Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah emphasized that the current administration neither intends to isolate the PTI founder nor views such a move as strategically beneficial. He drew a parallel to historical attempts to marginalize their own party leadership, noting those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
As the Leader of the House, the Prime Minister has formally extended an invitation for discussions to the opposition. Sanaullah stressed that dialogue is an indispensable component of a functioning parliamentary democracy, confirming that if the opposition is uncomfortable visiting the Prime Minister’s Office, they are welcome to convene in the National Assembly chamber instead.
The senior PML-N official maintained that while the government has taken the necessary steps to initiate contact, the PTI leadership must now reciprocate. He further implied that the Prime Minister’s overtures for negotiations, conducted on behalf of senior stakeholders including PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and the establishment, are part of the premier’s mandated responsibility.
Despite repeated attempts by secondary and tertiary PTI leadership, and the platform Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), to start talks, Sanaullah stated that no genuine progress can materialize unless the fundamental negotiation policy set by Imran Khan undergoes modification. He pointed out that the PTI founder has allegedly not designated any party member to hold formal discussions. Furthermore, a message relayed by his sister, Aleema Khan, reportedly suggested that any individual who entertains the idea of negotiation is considered disloyal to their cause. Instead of dialogue, the PTI founder is reportedly focused on mobilizing for widespread street action, including calls for a wheel-jam strike, citing his instructions to Sohail Afridi for organizational visits across Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh. According to Sanaullah, the founder remains the singular roadblock preventing constructive engagement.