Rana Sanaullah urges political unity, asks PTI to back counterterrorism operation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday urged political parties to set aside their differences and unite against terrorism, accusing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of refusing to endorse the ongoing counterterrorism operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during negotiations with the government.

Addressing the Senate, Sanaullah said counterterrorism required a unified national response and criticised the PTI leadership for what he described as its unwillingness to support the security operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Set aside all other matters and unite on the issue of terrorism,” he urged political leaders, arguing that political differences should not come in the way of the fight against militancy.

Sanaullah said that security personnel continued to sacrifice their lives in the fight against terrorism, citing the recent death of an army major.

He said the sacrifices of soldiers and their families demanded a collective response from the political leadership.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the federal government and the PTI over counterterrorism policy, political negotiations and the future of governance in KP, where the federal government has imposed the governor’s rule.

The federal government has accused the former PTI-led provincial government of failing to cooperate adequately in the fight against militancy, while the party has challenged the government’s emergency measures in court.

Sanaullah said that the government had attempted to resolve political disputes through negotiations but alleged that the PTI had repeatedly backed away from understandings reached during talks.

The adviser also referred to discussions with PTI leaders concerning meetings with the party’s founder, Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023.

He said the government had proposed resolving issues related to meetings and other concerns through a political committee comprising representatives from both sides.

Sanaullah alleged that the PTI had refused to sign an agreement committing it to support the ongoing counterterrorism operation. He argued that the dispute over this commitment had undermined efforts to reach a broader political understanding.

Referring to meetings of provincial apex committees, which bring together civilian and security officials to discuss security matters, Sanaullah said PTI representatives had not attended meetings in KP in the same manner as officials in other provinces. He also criticised the party’s approach to discussions with the federal government.

He said the federal government had sought cooperation from the KP leadership on security matters, adding that political disagreements should not prevent coordination between the Centre and the provinces.

Statements Against State Institutions

He also criticised PTI leaders for their ‘statements against state institutions and the military leadership’. He argued that inflammatory statements and social media campaigns had contributed to tensions surrounding meetings with Imran Khan in prison.

The government has maintained that it remains open to negotiations with the PTI, but has insisted that political dialogue should not be used to pressure it into accepting demands or undermine counterterrorism efforts.

The PTI, meanwhile, has opposed the federal government’s measures in KP and challenged the governor’s rule in court, describing it as a political move against democracy and the party.

Sanaullah urged political leaders to distinguish their political disagreements from the national security challenge, saying a common position against terrorism was essential to addressing the threat.

Opposition’s Refusal to Meet Prime Minister

He questioned the opposition’s refusal to meet the prime minister in the speaker’s chamber, saying the opposition leader had been appointed with the speaker’s signature but was unwilling to recognise the speaker’s role.

“If you do not recognise the speaker, why are you availing the privileges?” he asked, urging political leaders to set aside their differences and unite against terrorism.

Sanaullah said the deposed KP chief minister (Sohail Afridi) had been brought to a provincial apex committee meeting with considerable difficulty, criticising the provincial leadership’s approach to security coordination.

He also referred to remarks by PTI leader Mashal Yousafzai, who had claimed that the party was asked to sign an agreement within 72 hours.

Highlighting the sacrifices of security personnel, Sanaullah said a Pakistan Army major had been martyred in a terrorist incident a day earlier, adding that such incidents were occurring regularly.

He said some of the personnel martyred in the fight against terrorism had young children, while others had weddings planned in the coming months, stressing that their sacrifices demanded a united national response.

He warned that when an ‘anti-institution’ narrative was promoted from within prison, restrictions on meetings could be imposed under applicable rules.