Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end its long march and return to negotiations with the government.
Talking on the ARY News Program, ‘On My Radar’, Sanaullah said the government had consistently sought to resolve political disputes through dialogue.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had written two letters to the opposition leader, but had yet to receive an indication that a meeting would take place.
He criticized the opposition leader’s position that a meeting could not be held at the Prime Minister’s Office because he does not accept the Prime Minister.
Rana Sanaullah, referring to the previous talk, said the opposition’s negotiating committee had made considerable efforts to reach an agreement, but lacked the authority to take final decisions.
According to Sanaullah, some members of the committee had also contacted other people in an effort to make the talks successful.
He said the committee’s decision to remain in discussions until around 2:30 or 3pm was intended to keep the negotiations alive.
Sanaullah said people who were in contact with the government wanted negotiations to succeed, but alleged that some PTI members were interested only in violence and long-march politics.
He stressed that negotiations could not move forward on the basis of conditions imposed by either side.
He described one of the opposition’s demands as unconstitutional and illegal, saying the federal government could not surrender powers guaranteed to it under the constitution.
Sanaullah also referred to a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari three days earlier, saying the decision had been taken to continue engaging with the opposition.
Sanaullah also addressed concerns raised by PTI about the health and treatment of its founder and former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
He said doctors from abroad regularly visited Pakistan and that, to his understanding, medical care had been provided to the founder of PTI when required.
Sanaullah said PTI had raised concerns about Khan’s treatment during the negotiations and that a member of the government’s committee had shared information about the care provided to him.
Sanaullah accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government of taking actions over which the federal government could exercise its constitutional authority.
He said, however, that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made no decision so far on imposing governor’s rule in the province.
On security, Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan and KP had been subjected to a war against terrorism.
He said India and neighboring Afghanistan were involved in what he described as the hostile environment facing Pakistan.
Rana Sanaullah said formulating policy in response to foreign aggression was the constitutional responsibility of the federal government.
