In a significant political development, PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah has once again extended the federal government's offer for dialogue to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He emphasized the urgent need to resolve the persistent political crises hampering the nation's progress through discussion and consensus.
Government's Persistent Call for Political Dialogue
While addressing the media in Faisalabad, Rana Sanaullah, who also serves as the Prime Minister's political aide, firmly stated, "We are still in favour of politicians sitting together at a table to resolve issues." He reminded the public and political stakeholders of the unconditional offer made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in August last year. This initiative, known as the 'Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan' or Charter for Stability of Pakistan, was extended to all political parties to foster national unity.
Senator Sanaullah did not hold back in his criticism of PTI founder Imran Khan, accusing him of consistently creating political impasses. "Democracy progresses through dialogue," he asserted, contrasting this with his claim that Imran Khan, despite being incarcerated, aims to "spread chaos, anarchy and fitna (evil) in the country." He pointed to the events of May 9 and November 26 as examples of such destabilizing actions.
Failed Negotiations and Electoral Integrity
The path to dialogue has been rocky. Weeks of negotiations between the government and the PTI in December last year ultimately failed, yielding no tangible results on major issues as both sides blamed each other for the breakdown. More recently, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed that no talks are currently underway with either the federal government or the military establishment.
Shifting focus to the electoral process, Rana Sanaullah commented on the by-elections, stating that there were no complaints regarding the polling process in the Faisalabad constituency. He dismissed allegations of rigging and disturbances in other constituencies. Expressing hope for the future, he said, "We hope that people will vote for service, progress and solutions to their issues," positioning the PML-N as the only party deserving of public support.
Cross-Provincial Political Maneuvers
The political landscape also saw a notable shift in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The province's Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, appeared to soften his rhetoric against political rivals and assured the PML-N-led federal government of his cooperation "for the sake of peace" in the country.
In a statement, CM Afridi declared his intention to attend a meeting of the National Security Committee and any other meetings convened by the Centre to advocate for the rights of his province. This comes after ruling PML-N leaders had accused him of having sympathies for extremists due to his objections to certain counterterrorism operations in KP.
However, Chief Minister Afridi clarified his stance, emphasizing unwavering cooperation with the federal government on matters of law and order. "Terrorism has affected every sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Anyone who martyrs our soldiers is a terrorist," he stated firmly, signaling a commitment to stability despite political differences.
