Quiet channels still open, adviser says
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has told an interview that the ruling side still speaks privately with certain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures, without putting those exchanges on the public record. He would not list who takes part, arguing that naming them could damage their credibility among colleagues.
Those exchanges, he said, happen now and then by telephone and when both chambers of parliament are in session. In his account, the government treats the chats as informal PTI contacts rather than a declared negotiation track.
Why open talks have not restarted
Sanaullah argued that the barrier to turning quiet messages into formal bargaining lies mainly inside PTI. He claimed party gatherings have debated whether an earlier round of engagement was undermined, and that members who favoured a deal faced online abuse and pressure that stopped them speaking freely.
He added that PTI has not, through either private or official routes, signalled any readiness to alter its stance or settle disputes through democratic politics. Speculation about a shift may surface in internal meetings, he said, but nobody has brought that message to the government.
Only when intra-party debate hardens into a clear plan, he suggested, could trust in PTI’s intentions grow. At that point, he said, the sides could move from discreet contact to recorded negotiation.
Achakzai–Sharif meeting proposed
As a practical first move to unstick the process, Sanaullah called for a sit-down between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his role as Leader of the House, and Leader of the Opposition Mahmood Khan Achakzai. He dismissed Achakzai’s hesitation about going to the Prime Minister’s House, saying that stance has no sound basis, and noted that Sharif has walked over to the opposition leader’s desk when visiting the chamber.
He also urged PTI to rejoin parliamentary committees. The party, he said, has stayed away from those panels even while its members still attend the House. Dialogue, he insisted, remains the only lasting route out of political deadlock, and he voiced hope that cooler judgment would allow the paused process to restart.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hakumat ke ek advisor ne kaha hai ke kuch PTI logon se chupke phone aur parliament mein baat hoti rehti hai. Unke naam nahi bataye gaye, taake unhe party mein mushkil na ho. Abhi tak open talks shuru nahi huein, kyunke PTI ke andar ikhtilaf bataya gaya hai. Aam logon ke liye seedha matlab yeh hai ke siyasi tanazah abhi sulah ki taraf nahi badha.
