Pak govt official claims former PM Imran Khan's party not in position to launch agitation

Islamabad, Jun 7 (PTI) A senior government official on Saturday said that the incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan's party was in no position to launch a protest movement in the country.

The comments by Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, came two days after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and a prominent leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Ali Amin Gandapur, threatened to launch a full-scale movement for the cricketer-turned-politician's release after Eid Al-Adha.

Earlier last month, Khan had said he will lead his party’s upcoming protest movement against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government at the Centre, from the prison.

Khan, 72, has been lodged at the Adiala Jail since August 2023 in multiple cases. His party had organised rallies in the past too demanding his release.

According to Geo News, Sanaullah, while speaking with the media at his home town of Faisalabad in Punjab, urged the PTI to accept Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's offer of a meeting for negotiations and sit with the government to make amendments to the election laws.

He reiterated that the opposition must talk to the government to solve the issue of the country's people, as economic prosperity is the problem of every individual.

Commenting on PTI’s latest call for a protest movement, Sanaullah stated that the government will not allow the rival party to do something like May 9, 2023 or November 26, 2024, the day of recent protest marches led by the former ruling party.

“If we don’t see Imran Khan being released before Eid Al-Adha, we reserve the right to protest. We are moving towards a movement by bringing the people on the street against Khan's unjustified and unfair detention in fake cases,” Gandapur had told reporters after meeting the PTI supremo at the Adiala Jail near Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Senator Ali Zafar, quoting Khan last month, said that the PTI founder directed his party's leadership to make the upcoming nationwide protest movement against the federal government “decisive”.

However, Sanaullah ruled out the success of any such movement in the current political environment of the country.

“As per my belief as a political figure, PTI cannot afford to launch a similar movement like in the past in the light of the position of government, establishment and those who PTI has always tried to incite hate against.

“Even if they attempt to do something like that, it will be a failed attempt,” Sanaullah said.

The minister had earlier insisted that the opposition should first make an economic pact, after which other issues, including politics, will also be discussed, insisting that a national consensus be held on the problems facing Pakistan.

Sanaullah, during his appearance on Geo Pakistan television channel, added that the government didn’t just make the offers to the PTI but also led efforts to bring the party to the table and hold a dialogue last year.

“But the PTI's leadership, especially Imran Khan, doesn't believe in political negotiations,” he added.

The federal government and PTI had agreed to hold consultations over the differences last year before the latter abruptly quit the dialogue process over the non-formation of judicial commissions to probe the May 9, 2023 and November 26 events, after attending three meetings with the government’s delegation.

November 26 last year was when the PTI had launched a rally with scores of its members and supporters reaching a prime location in the capital. The agitation had resulted in violence with both the government and the party blaming each other.

PTI is, however, yet to announce the date for its proposed protest, according to Geo News. PTI SH NPK NPK