Military and Political Leadership Decided Protests Should Stay Away From Islamabad: Rana Sanaullah

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said the military and political leadership have agreed that sit-ins and long marches should be held away from Islamabad.

Speaking in a television interview, Sanaullah said that if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wanted to stage protests over its demands, it could hold them in cities such as Peshawar and Mardan. He added that people with grievances could also demonstrate in Karachi and Lahore.

Sanaullah said the government’s position was that long marches should not move towards the federal capital. He also said the military leadership had no direct role in negotiations between the government and opposition, while suggesting that the decision to initiate talks had been taken with the relevant stakeholders on board.

Commenting on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Sanaullah said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was not attending certain meetings and maintained that any concerns or policy differences should be discussed with the federal government.

He also referred to the options of imposing Governor’s Rule or declaring an emergency, saying such measures could become relevant if security in a province was at risk and the provincial government failed to cooperate with the federal authorities.

Sanaullah described both options as undesirable and said they would only be considered if circumstances became unavoidable. He added that the federal government was focused on the responsibilities of the provincial government rather than on individual political officeholders.

Meanwhile, government and opposition representatives have held talks as part of efforts to address political issues through dialogue. The first meeting did not produce a final outcome, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions.