Government in secret contact with PTI leaders, reveals Rana Sanaullah

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's adviser on political affairs Rana Sanaullah has revealed that the government remains in informal contact with certain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders expressing hope that the communication could eventually lead to formal negotiations.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s adviser on political affairs Rana Sanaullah has revealed that the government remains in informal contact with certain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders expressing hope that the communication could eventually lead to formal negotiations.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Sanaullah said the contacts take place occasionally through telephone conversations and during sessions of the National Assembly and Senate. However he declined to disclose the identities of the PTI figures involved explaining that revealing their names could create difficulties for them within their party.

He said the informal discussions could develop into official on-the-record negotiations once the process reached a concrete stage.

Addressing the delay in restarting formal talks Sanaullah pointed to differences within PTI over the negotiation process. He claimed that discussions during party meetings had included allegations that previous negotiations were deliberately undermined.

According to the adviser some PTI members who supported successful negotiations had faced online criticism and pressure discouraging them from openly expressing their positions.

Sanaullah identified a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai as an appropriate first step towards reviving the stalled dialogue.

He also criticised Achakzai’s reported reluctance to meet the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House arguing that there was no reasonable basis for refusing such a meeting. Sanaullah noted that Sharif had previously approached the opposition leader’s seat during parliamentary sessions.

The adviser said he hoped political leaders would reconsider their positions and resume negotiations, emphasising that dialogue remained the way forward for resolving political disagreements.

However, he maintained that PTI had not communicated any formal or informal indication that it was prepared to change its political approach.

Sanaullah acknowledged that discussions about changing the party’s strategy might be taking place internally but said no PTI representative had approached the government to confirm a willingness to resolve disputes through democratic means.

He urged Achakzai to meet the prime minister and called on PTI to return to parliamentary committees, which the party had boycotted while continuing to participate in proceedings in the House.

Sanaullah said confidence in PTI’s intentions would improve once internal discussions resulted in a clear strategy for moving forward. For now the possibility of formal negotiations remains dependent on further political engagement between the government and opposition.