Rana Sanaullah Offers Talks, Warns Against Political Instability and Pressure

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said the government’s doors remained open for negotiations with the opposition, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as he called for political disputes to be settled through dialogue rather than confrontation or pressure.

Government Calls for Dialogue

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already offered talks to the opposition and maintained that political disagreements should be resolved at the negotiating table.

“The doors for negotiations are open,” Sanaullah said, arguing that national interests should take precedence over individual or party political objectives.

His remarks come amid renewed tensions between the federal government and PTI over the opposition party’s march towards Islamabad. Government and opposition representatives held formal negotiations at Parliament House last week, but the talks ended without an agreement after differences emerged over the march, PTI founder Imran Khan and counter-security policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sanaullah accused PTI of pursuing a strategy that, in his view, had contributed to political instability and reduced tolerance in national politics. He said the state could not be pressured into accepting political demands through actions that disrupted normal state functioning.

PTI Disputes Government’s Position

The comments represent the federal government’s position. PTI has disputed the government’s characterisation of its campaign and says its march and demands are constitutional and political in nature. PTI leaders have also maintained that they remain willing to engage in dialogue. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi earlier proposed consultations between the federal and provincial governments on security policy and said disagreements should be addressed through negotiations.

Sanaullah also criticised the KP government’s decision to continue political mobilisation at a time when the province is facing serious security challenges. He said many police personnel, security officials and civilians who have lost their lives in recent incidents belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and argued that their families and the broader security situation should remain a priority.

He claimed that the provincial government had been encouraging people to march towards Islamabad despite the security situation in KP. Aaj News, reporting the Wednesday press conference, quoted Sanaullah as accusing the provincial government of using official resources for the political mobilisation and saying that political demands could not be imposed by putting pressure on the state.

Security Policy Remains Key Dispute

The dispute over security policy was also a major point of disagreement in the recent government-PTI negotiations. Sanaullah has said the federal government expects provincial governments to cooperate with the national counterterrorism strategy, while PTI representatives have argued for a jointly agreed federal-provincial approach to security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On security operations, Sanaullah said intelligence-based operations would continue but rejected suggestions that the government was planning a new large-scale operation that would lead to the displacement of local populations.

He said the government’s approach was focused on targeted action and maintained that there was no plan to create a new population of internally displaced persons.

Pakistan Reiterates Position on Afghanistan

Sanaullah also reiterated Pakistan’s position on Afghanistan, saying Islamabad wants Afghan territory to be prevented from being used for activities targeting Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that its central demand is for verifiable action ensuring Afghan soil is not used for attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan has publicly accused groups operating from Afghanistan of involvement in attacks inside the country. Afghan Taliban officials have rejected broader Pakistani accusations that their authorities facilitate such groups, making the issue a continuing point of dispute between Islamabad and Kabul.

Sanaullah said Pakistan had raised its concerns with Afghan authorities and referred to diplomatic efforts involving regional partners including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China and Türkiye.

Despite the increasingly sharp political rhetoric, Sanaullah maintained that negotiations remained possible. His latest remarks follow his earlier statement that talks with PTI could resume if differences over the security policy were addressed.

The government’s latest position therefore leaves the possibility of renewed negotiations open, even as the political standoff over PTI’s march and federal-provincial security policy continues.