ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah announced late Tuesday that the government was willing to accommodate PTI’s demand for a time frame in ongoing talks, following PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s conveyance of former premier Imran Khan’s demand for a defined timeline.
Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply, marked by protests that frequently escalated into violence amid state repression.
Tensions further intensified after PTI’s ‘Final Call’ rally last month, with renewed calls to ban the party and task forces formed against alleged “malicious campaigns.” PTI claimed a dozen deaths of its supporters during this period, a claim the government denies.
Following the turmoil, Imran established a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone,” signalling a shift in PTI lawmakers’ stance in parliament.
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the recommendation of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, also formed a committee with ruling coalition members. The first meeting between the government and PTI committees was held on Monday, marking the start of long-awaited negotiations to ease political tensions.
Yesterday, during a conversation with the media outside Adiala Jail after meeting Imran, Barrister Gohar said that the former premier called for a time frame for the negotiations during which some progress should be made.
Senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah responded to the demand late last night while speaking to Geo News, saying that the government would “accommodate such a request”.
“If they want to set a timeframe they can, because then, the meetings will be held according to that timeline,” the PM’s political aide said.
“It won’t be the case that we will accept all the demands they’d bring forward and vice versa. So, going back and forth on each point and demand, along with finding common ground, will inevitably take time.”
Sanaullah stressed that the government had not put any pressure on the PTI to rush the talks.
“There is no such thing from our side that this needs to be done immediately or talks need to take place daily,” he said.
“But if they want this to reach a result quickly, then there’s no resistance from our end. They can say what they need to, and then we’ll present our stance to them.”
