LAHORE:
In an unusually conciliatory tone, senior PML-N leader and political affairs advisor to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday asked the country’s top political leaders – PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan of the PTI – to sit together to get the country out of the current crisis.
Sana was one of the speakers at an event organized in Lahore to commemorate slain politician Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, father of PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique.
At the event that took place amid the ongoing dialogue between the ruling PML-N and the PTI, speakers acknowledged the urgency of political dialogue while expressing cautious support for committee-level compromise between the two political rivals.
The former Interior Minister noted that, according to his understanding, for the dialogue to move forward it must include the three big names in the political arena, Nawaz, Zardari and Imran.
“The committees will not be able to move forward without trusting their respective leaders [so why not include the leaders in the consultation process]”, said.
According to Sanaullah, the PTI is demanding the PML-N to abandon its government formed on the basis of rigged elections, but the question is why the PTI did not resign from its mandate when they were accused of the same crime.
Although he stated that his party wants the negotiation to succeed, Sana expressed some surprise at the sudden change of heart in the PTI, which until November 26 was organizing a protest march in Islamabad to pressure the government to accept its demands.
Speaking at the event, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that he was never consulted on the issue of collaborating with the PTI and warned his fellow leaders to remain on their guard and not trust PTI founder Imran Khan. who, he said, is “eternally unfaithful.”
Asif, who was the closing speaker at the ceremony, said he does not believe in the idea of the PTI suddenly opening up to the dialogue process.
He asked what changed in the last fortnight when the PTI went from firing all guns to pushing for negotiations. Just a fortnight ago, they were attacking the government and suddenly they unilaterally formed a committee and knocked on the door of the speaker of the National Assembly, he said.
“The PTI cannot be trusted. The PML-N is totally in favor of dialogue as we believe that dialogue is the only way forward, but it was difficult to accept the sudden change of opinion in the PTI camp. Imran Khan “He is an unfaithful person, who has even betrayed his benefactors,” he added.
On a lighter note, he complained that he was not even consulted before the PML-N formed a committee to hold talks with the PTI, apparently referring to his opposing stance on the issue, saying “they didn’t even let me near this”. discussion”.
He said the government’s sincerity is unquestionable as it enters this dialogue from a position of power while the other side is plagued with problems. “Their intentions should be viewed with some skepticism,” he said.
Khawaja Asif claimed that in Pakistan only three leaders sought Western support; two of them, General Ziaul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf, were military dictators, while Imran is the only political leader who did so. “The country is facing the consequences of this tendency to seek Western support.”
He said the call for Jihad in Afghanistan was invented by a dictator to accentuate his rule in the country.
“A person who seeks help from power [apparently USA] that is responsible for the death of fifty thousand Palestinians and the devastation of five Muslim countries has no morals. Imran Khan is his puppet,” he alleged.
Asif stated that all power centers should be included in the dialogue process. He stated that all political parties have used the crutches of the establishment at some point.
Criticizing the judiciary, he said people should thank God that Pakistan has survived for 75 years with this kind of judiciary. He said the saying that people should hire judges and not lawyers is correct.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said his office has a limited role in the dialogue process. “I appreciate the government for accepting the dialogue process. This dialogue process should also include an economy charter,” he said.
Criticizing PTI supporters residing in the West, he said those who could not say a word about the genocide in Gaza or the occupation of Kashmir are working against the country’s interests.
