Pakistan will remain in political deadlock unless trust is restored among top leadership, says Sanaullah
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah on Thursday stressed the need for trust-building and sustained contact among Pakistan’s top five figures, saying no political breakthrough would be possible without confidence-building measures at the highest level.
“Top five figures include Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Imran Khan and another one,” he said while speaking TO A PRIVATE TV’. However, Sanaullah did not mention the name of the fifth personality.
Sanaullah, who is also the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, maintained that unless steps were taken to restore trust among them, the country would remain trapped in political deadlock, adding that informal contacts at lower levels would not resolve the crisis.
Responding to the request of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Amir Dogar — who was also present during the programme — to lead in creating an atmosphere conducive to dialogue, he clarified that his own contacts with Dogar would not lead to any meaningful breakthrough.
The senator underscored that engagement was required at the top leadership level to move the situation in a positive direction.
He also called for shutting down social media accounts running campaigns against state institutions, saying such accounts should be closed.
He rejected PTI leadership’s stance that it had no control or connection with those accounts, asserting that the party could not absolve itself of responsibility by making such claims.
The senator further said the PTI leadership should publicly disassociate itself from those accounts and ensure their closure, adding that if the intent was merely propaganda, it should be directed against rival political parties and politicians rather than state institutions.
Warning the PTI against its February 8 protest call, Sanaullah said the appeal would fail, and the party would be unable to paralyse the country.
He cautioned that any attempt to enforce a wheel-jam strike would result in strict action, leading to further losses for the party. He urged the PTI to withdraw its February 8 protest call, warning that continued confrontation would worsen the situation rather than improve it.
Meanwhile, Dogar, in the same programme, said that his party faced political victimisation in 2025, expressing hope that 2026 would bring an end to such targeted actions. He added that the country achieved a measure of political and economic stability during the past year.
Dogar stressed that the meeting with Imran should be allowed to discuss ground realities and advise on possible solutions.
He specifically requested that the government permit Opposition Leaders in the Senate and National Assembly, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Achakzai, respectively, to meet with the PTI founder. He said that if such engagement takes place, it could open avenues for resolving disputes and ending ongoing conflicts.
Responding to Dogar’s request, Sanaullah said that ending anti-institution social media campaigns could steer the political climate positively and facilitate meetings with the PTI founder, helping to resolve ongoing political tensions.
Sanaullah also revealed that when the PTI founder’s sister recently met him, the jail superintendent instructed her not to speak to the media after the visit, highlighting the restrictions around such high-profile meetings.
Highlighting the importance of high-level consultations, Dogar said that a meeting among the country’s “top five” political figures could put an end to political deadlock.
He acknowledged that such a breakthrough might not happen immediately but stressed the importance of keeping political doors open to dialogue and cooperation.
