- Rana welcomes opposition leaders’ appointments in both houses.
- Khawaja Asif questions PTI’s seriousness over negotiations.
- Calls for ending abusive rhetoric before meaningful dialogue.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday once again invited the opposition to dialogue, saying political engagement was essential for improving the system and strengthening parliamentary democracy.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanaullah — who is also serving as Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs — termed the appointment of leaders of the opposition in both the National Assembly and the Senate a “positive development”
He stressed that all political forces would have to work together to improve governance. The senator recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had repeatedly extended offers for negotiations to the opposition in the past as well.
The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s major opposition party, attempted talks at the end of December last year, following more than a year of strained relations, but the effort yielded no outcome. Several subsequent attempts to revive the negotiations were also unsuccessful.
The party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, had recently entrusted both Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir to decide on whether, with whom, and how talks would be held. The former is chairman of the opposition alliance, namely the Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan, while the latter is its vice-chairman.
Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated that the government was serious about holding talks with PTI but questioned the opposition party’s sincerity, saying it spoke in “four or five different languages,” making it difficult to determine its real position.
Speaking to Geo News at Parliament House, Asif remarked that PTI leaders adopted different stances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in parliament and outside the country, asking which version should be trusted.
The defence minister said those who used abusive language from outside the country should first be restrained, adding that individuals were deliberately making hostile statements against Pakistan as part of a calculated strategy.
He slammed PTI for keeping room to backtrack and engage in “double dealing,” saying negotiations could only succeed if the party showed genuine intent.
Asif further said that if PTI’s intentions were clear, talks could take place and yield results, but added that the party’s bad faith had not ended, likening the situation to a game of cards being played collectively.
‘No backdoor talks underway’
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has categorically rejected any backdoor talks, saying that his party’s position was very clear that if there were any backdoor contacts, PTI would not hide them, but at present, there was no contact with anyone, including the establishment.
He welcomed the notification of opposition leaders, calling it a positive step for parliament and democracy, and said both opposition leaders had delivered constructive messages in their speeches a day earlier.
He said Allama Raja Nasir and Mahmood Khan Achakzai now bore major responsibilities, adding that egos would have to be set aside for the sake of progress. He expressed hope that Achakzai would play an effective role.
Gohar said PTI had conveyed to the government that dialogue required goodwill from both sides, warning that if the government resorted to force, people would again take to protests. He reiterated PTI’s stance that its mandate was “stolen” on February 8.
