ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that while several Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders were open to dialogue with the government, party founder Imran Khan remained opposed, with the party continuing its call for protests on February 8.
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Speaking on Geo News’ programme Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah noted that PTI leaders had expressed willingness to negotiate with the government, emphasising that political engagement often helps resolve disputes. “Whenever politicians come to the table for talks, problems get solved, and a way gets paved,” he said.
پی ٹی آئی کیلئے راستے پہیہ جام وغیرہ سے نہیں بلکہ صرف بات چیت کے ذریعے نکلیں گے، سینیٹر رانا ثناءاللّٰہ pic.twitter.com/viPfGtPLSI
— PMLN Punjab (@PMLNPunjabPk) January 16, 2026
However, the adviser added that the PTI founder had not endorsed any dialogue. “Whenever [the PTI leaders] meet us, they say that the PTI founder is not in favour of any sort of dialogue with the government,” Sanaullah said. He noted that the party’s preparations, speeches, and mobilisation efforts for the February 8 protest reflected a firm stance on continuing the agitation.
Sanaullah also suggested that PTI leaders hoped to convince Imran to consider postponing the protest if they could meet him, but added that such a meeting would only be feasible after February 8. He further indicated that the government planned to manage the protests “administratively” and predicted that PTI would not succeed in disrupting normal proceedings.
He urged the party to participate in parliamentary committees from which they had abstained and stressed that legislative engagement was a more constructive path. Earlier, PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar had maintained that dialogue could not proceed until meetings with Imran were permitted, and that the party’s stance aligned with the directions of its jailed founder.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated his offer for talks with the opposition, highlighting that discussions could only proceed on “legitimate matters.”