Nawaz Sharif, Establishment Back Dialogue With PTI
Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the country’s establishment are all on board with offering dialogue to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a way to resolve long-standing political disputes through negotiations rather than confrontation.
Speaking during a television programme Aitraz Hai, Rana Sanaullah said the leadership’s objective was to bring all political stakeholders to the table to address political issues through dialogue. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already extended an offer of talks to PTI on three occasions, but the response from the opposition party had remained negative. He added that the prime minister raised the matter once again during a recent federal cabinet meeting, marking the fourth attempt to initiate dialogue.
Rana Sanaullah said President Asif Ali Zardari was also in agreement with the proposal and had consistently advocated reconciliation between political forces. He noted that Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had issued a clear and firm statement in favour of dialogue on December 27. According to Sanaullah, Pakistan’s political crisis had persisted for years, beginning around 2011, continuing through multiple phases until 2018, and resurfacing again between 2022 and 2025.
Criticising PTI’s leadership, Rana Sanaullah accused PTI founder Imran Khan of lacking faith in political dialogue and refusing to sit with political opponents to seek negotiated solutions. He said this approach had created difficulties mainly for PTI itself, adding that several PTI leaders privately supported resolving issues through talks rather than street agitation.
Referring to past events, Rana Sanaullah recalled that Imran Khan had declined to attend a parliamentary meeting following the Pulwama incident, despite efforts by the then army chief to persuade him to participate. He said political disagreements were natural, but campaigns on social media targeting state institutions and their leadership crossed unacceptable boundaries.
He warned that narratives hostile to the armed forces, similar to those promoted by Indian media, could not be justified, adding that PTI could not later complain about strict responses if such conduct continued. Rana Sanaullah advised the party to reassess its political behaviour or refrain from raising complaints.
He also cautioned against violent protests, saying that incidents such as those on May 9 and November 26 had already demonstrated their damaging consequences. According to him, failed street movements and wheel-jam strikes would only result in further political losses for PTI and legal troubles for its workers.
Stressing that dialogue remained the only viable solution, Rana Sanaullah said negotiations between political parties were essential for achieving positive and sustainable outcomes. He clarified that political dialogue was not the responsibility of the Director General ISPR, whose role was limited to acting as a spokesperson for a disciplined institution within constitutional boundaries.
Rana Sanaullah said the prime minister’s offer of dialogue had been made with party approval and after taking relevant stakeholders into confidence. He emphasised that no political party should oppose talks in principle, especially at a time when the country faced economic and political challenges.
Commenting on parliamentary matters, he said the issue related to Mahmood Khan Achakzai had been taken to court and details had been submitted to the Speaker’s Office, expressing hope that a decision regarding the opposition leader would be made in upcoming sessions of the National Assembly or Senate.
He added that while Shehbaz Sharif currently headed the coalition government, the future leadership of the PPP rested with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, noting that there was nothing unusual if PPP workers raised slogans in support of their leader, as leadership would ultimately be decided by the people in the next general elections.
