Imran himself biggest obstacle to talks, says Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that the real hurdle to negotiations is Imran Khan himself.

He said it is impossible that the prime minister would have made an offer without taking Nawaz Sharif or the establishment into confidence.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Rana Sanaullah said that second- or third-tier PTI leaders claim they want dialogue, but until the PTI founder himself has a clear policy on talks, no amount of meetings will lead to any result. He added that the PTI founder has not authorized anyone to negotiate, and even Khan’s sister Aleema Khan has said that whoever negotiates will not be considered one of them.

He further said that PTI has given a call for a wheel-jam strike, and that the PTI founder remains the main obstacle to negotiations. He claimed that from 2011 till today, the PTI founder has blocked dialogue and does not want negotiations. “We are completely clear about talks, but there is ambiguity on the other side,” he said.

He added that PTI keeps saying they have given permission to certain people to negotiate, but the decision ultimately lies with them. “Speak plainly—say you are not in favor of dialogue and want confrontation,” he said, questioning whether any benefit came from the PTI founder’s last meeting. He asked why PTI does not openly acknowledge that the prime minister’s offer has been received, and urged them to say when they are ready to meet.

The adviser said the prime minister has even offered to meet in the Speaker’s Chamber if they do not want to come to him, adding that no conditions have been imposed. “If they want to meet the prime minister, they should come. If they cannot move forward without permission, they should raise this issue directly in the meeting,” he said.

Rana Sanaullah said the prime minister also talked about negotiations during the budget approval process, but at that time as well it was demanded that a meeting with the PTI founder be arranged. He said PTI had earlier stated it could not sit for talks without permission. “If PTI goes to the Speaker’s Office, arrangements for a meeting with the prime minister can be made. In the meeting, they will present their stance and the prime minister will present his—this is how dialogue moves forward,” he added.

He concluded by saying that he believes the Speaker and the opposition leader will soon decide the matter in the National Assembly session. The decision on the request has already been made and a copy has been submitted to the Speaker’s Office. “PTI should negotiate with the prime minister and then sit and discuss whatever they want. We did not try to minus anyone; rather, attempts were made to minus us,” he said.