PTI cannot force govt to accept its demands by holding state 'hostage', says Sanaullah

Rana Sanaullah, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, expressed concerns on Wednesday that the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PTI) cannot force the government to accept its demands by holding the state "hostage" and causing political instability. Sanaullah addressed the media in Islamabad, emphasizing that the government would not allow the opposition to exploit talks as a means to make political demands.

He reiterated that the doors for negotiations are open, recalling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's call for the PTI leadership to participate in talks and abandon their protest plans. However, Sanaullah stressed that discussions cannot be used to pressure the government into accepting unilateral demands. The opposition party was described by Sanaullah as having been "successful" in creating a "culture of intolerance" and transforming politics into a "culture of below the belt jabs at each other."

In a previous development, hours-long negotiations between the government and opposition during a second round of talks ended in a "deadlock" on Sunday. The discussions focused on the PTI's planned October 4 march to Islamabad. On Monday, PTI leaders declared that reconciliation with the government was not possible without including the imprisoned party founder, Imran Khan, in the dialogue process.

They also alleged that the government was unwilling to pursue a collective strategy against terrorism. Sanaullah dismissed PTI's claim that it was being left out of counterterrorism policy decisions as "completely wrong" and "misleading." He emphasized that the policy on combating terrorism is already being implemented through intelligence-based operations (IBOs) with "huge success."

Sanaullah further claimed that the PTI opposes such operations. In June 2024, the government announced a reinvigorated "Operation Azm-i-Istehkam," but later clarified that it would only involve intensifying ongoing IBOs and rebranded the operation as "Vision Azm-i-Istehkam." Sanaullah pointed out that the armed forces and law enforcement agencies have been sacrificing their lives to maintain the operations, and any claims of new military operations or internal displacement were false.

Regarding the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Sanaullah stated that Islamabad had been "fair" in demanding that the Afghan government not use its land for terrorist activities in Pakistan. However, he noted that the Afghan Taliban refused to guarantee that their land would not be used for terror attacks against Pakistan.

Sanaullah contended that the PTI was the only party opposing the policy, as it prioritized political interests over national interest. He criticized the PTI's recent protests and highlighted the rise in terrorism incidents, including those affecting children, civilians, and soldiers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Sanaullah condemned the attitude of the KP government, accusing it of prioritizing personal and political agendas over national interest, a violation of the Constitution and political ethics.