ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah has stated that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has repeatedly offered dialogue to all political stakeholders, an initiative he claims has the backing of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and the country’s military establishment.
Speaking on Samaa News’ program Mere Saal, the senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader emphasized that while the establishment, as referenced by the DG ISPR’s recent statement, encourages political parties to talk, it “cannot talk on its own.” The onus, therefore, lies squarely with the political leadership.
Sanaullah framed the path forward as dependent on a consensus among the nation’s top political figures, whom he termed the “5 bigwigs.” He explicitly named four of them: Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), implicitly referring to incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He declined to name the fifth, stating “everyone knows” who the essential parties are.
“The matter can only move forward if these 5 bigwigs take a decision,” Sanaullah asserted. He indicated that agreement from Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, and the PTI founder was necessary for any meaningful dialogue to proceed.
The advisor’s comments highlight the continuing political deadlock, as he placed direct responsibility for the impasse on the PTI founder’s perceived unwillingness to engage. “The founder of PTI is not ready for talks,” Sanaullah stated, suggesting this reluctance is the primary obstacle to initiating a broader political conversation aimed at addressing the country’s challenges.
The public outlining of these preconditions signals the government’s attempt to pressure the opposition into negotiations while asserting that its own coalition and powerful state institutions are aligned in seeking a political settlement.
