{
  "id": 12594507,
  "title": "PTI cannot force govt to accept its demands by holding state 'hostage', says Sanaullah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/pti-cannot-force-govt-to-accept-its-demands-by-holding-state-hostage-12594507",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T09:34:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2035383/pti-cannot-force-govt-to-accept-its-demands-by-holding-state-hostage-says-sanaullah"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Political heavyweight Rana Sanaullah warned on Wednesday that the Progressive Era Party (PTI) cannot force the government to accept its demands by threatening the state and escalating political turmoil. Addressing journalists in Islamabad, Sanaullah emphasized that the ruling party would not permit the opposition to leverage talks as a means to push for political gains. He reaffirmed that the doors for discussions remained open, echoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's appeal made earlier for the PTI leadership to engage in dialogue and abandon their protest schemes. However, Sanaullah stressed that negotiations cannot be weaponized to coerce the government. He criticized the PTI for having excelled in inciting discord and intolerance within the political sphere. On Sunday, the second round of talks between the government and the opposition concluded in a stalemate at Parliament House. The session kicked off on Saturday, with deliberations centered on the PTI's scheduled Oct 4 march to Islamabad. Later on Monday, PTI leaders asserted that reaching a reconciliation with the government was unfeasible without incorporating jailed party founder Imran Khan into the discussion forum. They also blamed the government's reluctance to collaborate on a comprehensive anti-terrorism strategy for the talks' failure. Sanaullah rejected the PTI's assertion that their exclusion from counterterrorism policy decisions was unjustified, arguing that the policy was already being implemented successfully through intelligence-driven operations. He vehemently denied the opposition's claims that these operations would result in further internal displacement. Sanaullah also addressed the deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, highlighting Islamabad's justified demand for Afghanistan to refrain from utilizing its territory for terrorist acts within Pakistan. He recounted previous dialogues where Pakistan's evidence against terror activity originating from Afghanistan was accepted, but the Taliban refused to pledge against harboring such threats. Sanaullah contended that the PTI was singularly opposed to this policy, driven by their pursuit of politics over national security. He recalled PTI's history of protests in Islamabad, particularly in 2022 and 2024, and lamented the recent surge in terrorism incidents, including civilian and military losses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He denounced the KP government's stance, claiming their actions were both unacceptable and detrimental to national progress.",
  "summary": "PTI cannot pressure the government into accepting demands by holding the state “hostage” and creating political instability, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Sanaullah said that the government would not allow the opposition to use talks as a “tool” for making political demands. “Doors for talks are open,”…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "Govt cannot be pressured into accepting demands by holding the state 'hostage', says Sanaullah on PTI march",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/govt-cannot-be-pressured-into-accepting-demands-by-holding-the-state",
        "published": "2026-10-07T08:53:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}