Sanaullah rules out PTI talks until march deferred

Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday that formal negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf cannot begin while the party's planned long march stays on the agenda, Daily Times reported. In an interview with a private television channel, he urged PTI to choose political dialogue given the difficult situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

Sanaullah said peaceful protest was a constitutional right, but warned that it should not be used as a cover for any hidden agenda. He said backchannel contacts with PTI leaders were continuing, but formal negotiations were not possible until PTI postponed the march. He added that PTI leaders were currently issuing statements about the proposed march and that the march would not take place merely on the basis of those statements.

The adviser said the government was monitoring developments around the planned protest and that security arrangements were being made in Islamabad. Containers had been placed along roads as a precaution, he said, but they were lying along roadsides rather than blocking major routes, and roads remained open for public movement.

Sanaullah said authorities would not allow anyone to enter the capital aggressively, and no one would be permitted to create disorder in the city. The government has maintained that demonstrations should not create security concerns in Islamabad. He called on PTI to resolve matters through talks rather than confrontation, and the exchange comes as PTI leaders continue to issue statements about the proposed long march.