ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister’s political affairs advisor Rana Sanaullah has claimed that there was no pressure on the government for the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding president Imran Khan, apart from his own statements.
He also denied that a deal had been offered on the transfer of the former prime minister from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to his residence in Banigala.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Sanaullah clarified that there was no pressure beyond the PTI founder’s own statements for his release, adding that no statement had been received from any quarter from which Imran expected support.
He also clarified that the government had never offered to shift Imran Khan to Bani Gala. “If Ali Amin Gandapur says anything, then it is his fault; the government has never made such an offer,” he said.
Regarding the ongoing talks, he mentioned that the government’s negotiating committee included all its allies and requested written demands from the PTI. “After the meeting with Imran Khan, PTI complained that the meeting was not held properly and that they want a ‘proper’ meeting. We will also facilitate it,” Sanaullah said.
However, he noted that it seemed that Imran Khan was not likely to file written demands.
Sanaullah said the behavior of people close to Imran Khan and his spokespersons indicated that they were ready to go to any lengths.
He referred to a conversation between Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and a social media operator, in which Aleema Khan allegedly said that the PTI founder should not talk about the facilities available to him in jail as it would negatively affect the party narrative.
He claimed that this was part of a deliberate propaganda effort to make it appear that the PTI founder was facing grave injustice in prison. “Infighting within the PTI is evident, and what can we expect from a party where such petty infighting is taking place?” he added.
The PML-N leader further said that Imran Khan’s stance on institutions and the state was already well known. He noted that the PTI social media had falsely claimed, two years ago, that the Nankana Sahib incident was related to the events of November 24 and had distorted reports of Palestinian atrocities to make it appear that they were occurring in the Democratic district of Islamabad Chowk.
He added: “To this day, no one has reported being injured at D-Chowk. No one has even filed a police report, even though if they had, the authorities could have taken action.”
On the economic front, Rana Sanaullah asserted that Pakistan’s economic situation was improving and expressed optimism that the country would emerge as a strong economic power in the coming days. He accused the PTI of seeking to prevent political stability in the country.
Rana Sanaullah also addressed the concerns of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), pointing out that some issues had been resolved through discussions at the Governor House in Punjab. He stated that there are no longer any major problems with the PPP, although he stated that the party leadership continued to make statements for political purposes.
“In this government, all decisions are made with the full participation of the PPP leadership,” he added.
NA speaker
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday said it was not his mandate or responsibility to organize a meeting between the two.
Defending his position after PTI leaders criticized him for not facilitating a meeting, the National Assembly speaker in a statement expressed frustration over what he called unfair criticism.
“They are unfairly criticizing me for not having arranged a meeting with the founder of the PTI,” he lamented.
Sadiq also addressed the suggestion that he walk away from the negotiations. “If those who criticize my position want me to abandon the negotiation process, then I am willing to consider this proposal,” he added.
Refuting claims that his absence abroad prevented him from facilitating a meeting, Sadiq added: “Just because I am abroad doesn’t mean I can’t arrange a meeting. My doors are always open to everyone.”
“It is unfortunate to make such statements for which there was no positive response from the president’s office upon contacting them,” Sadiq said, referring to complaints raised by PTI leaders about his conduct.
“When the Government and the opposition say so, I will immediately arrange a meeting,” he added.
