PTI’s Protest Will Fail, Says Rana Sanaullah – Urges Dialogue Instead

Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Public and Political Affairs, said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cannot launch a successful protest movement in the current political climate.

Speaking to journalists in Faisalabad after Eid ul Adha prayers, Sanaullah said that PTI is not in a position to lead any movement. He suggested that the party should accept Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for talks.

Sanaullah urged PTI to sit with the government and discuss electoral reforms. He stressed that economic problems are affecting everyone in the country, and only unity can solve them.

He reminded the public that the government invited PTI for talks last year, but the opposition party backed out. He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is still open to dialogue and has extended the invitation multiple times.

In an interview with Geo News on the program Geo Pakistan, Sanaullah warned that the government would not allow any protest similar to those on May 9, 2023, or November 26, 2024.

He accused PTI of trying to create unrest and incite hate against the government and the establishment. He said if PTI tries to repeat past actions, they will fail.

PTI founder Imran Khan, currently in prison, announced that he will lead the party’s nationwide protest from behind bars. According to Senator Ali Zafar, Khan wants the protest to be decisive.

However, Rana Sanaullah believes this is not possible due to PTI’s current condition. “The establishment, government, and other key stakeholders will not allow such a move to succeed,” he said.

Sanaullah repeated his earlier suggestion that political parties should first agree on an economic framework. Other political matters can be discussed afterward. He stressed the need for a national consensus on the country’s future.

He mentioned that leaders like Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique also tried to bring PTI to the negotiating table, but Imran Khan refused to engage in political talks.

Past Dialogue Attempts Failed

Last year, the government and PTI held three rounds of talks. But PTI walked away from the process, demanding judicial commissions to investigate the May 9 and November 26 protests. Talks stopped after that.

Sanaullah said the government still sees PTI as a political party, which is why PM Shehbaz Sharif invited them to talk again. The National Assembly Speaker has also shown willingness to mediate.

PTI’s Leadership and Protest Plans

As internal challenges grow in PTI, Imran Khan has declared himself the party’s patron-in-chief. Meanwhile, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan remains the party chairman.

PTI has announced a nationwide protest campaign to challenge the PML-N-led government. The party claims it wants to reclaim its “stolen mandate”. However, no protest date has been announced yet.