No pressure on Imran's release, says Sanaullah

Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has asserted that there was no pressure on the government for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan's release other than his own statements.

He also denied that a deal has been offered regarding the former prime minister's transfer from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to his residence in Banigala.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Sanaullah clarified there was no pressure beyond the statements of the PTI founder himself for his release, adding that no statement has been received from any quarters Imran was expecting support from.

He also clarified that the government had never offered to transfer Imran Khan to Bani Gala. "If Ali Amin Gandapur is saying something, then it's on him – the government has never made such an offer," he said.

Regarding the ongoing talks, he mentioned that the government's negotiating committee had included all its allies and had requested written demands from PTI. "After the meeting with Imran Khan, PTI has complained that the meeting was not conducted properly, and that they want the 'correct' meeting. We will facilitate that as well," Sanaullah said.

However, he noted that it appeared that Imran Khan was not likely to submit written demands.

Sanaullah said that the behaviour of those close to Imran Khan and his spokespersons indicated they were willing to go to any extent.

He referred to a conversation between Aleema Khan, Imran Khan's sister, and a social media operator, in which Aleema Khan purportedly said that the PTI founder should not discuss any facilities available to him in jail, as it would negatively impact the party's narrative.

He claimed this was part of a deliberate propaganda effort to make it appear that the PTI founder was facing severe injustice in prison. "The internal strife within PTI is evident, and what can we expect from a party where such petty infighting is taking place?" he added.

The PML-N leader further said that Imran Khan's stance on institutions and the state was already well known. He pointed out that PTI's social media had, two years ago, falsely claimed that the Nankana Sahib incident was related to the November 24 events and had twisted reports of Palestinian atrocities to make them appear as if they were happening in Islamabad's D-Chowk.

He added, "To this day, no one has come forward claiming to have been harmed at D-Chowk. No one has even filed a police report, despite the fact that if they had, the authorities might have taken action."

On the economic front, Rana Sanaullah claimed that Pakistan's economic situation was improving and expressed optimism that the country would emerge as a strong economic power in the coming days. He accused PTI of seeking to prevent political stability in the country.

Rana Sanaullah also addressed concerns with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), noting that some issues had been resolved through discussions at the Governor House in Punjab. He asserted that there were no longer any significant problems with the PPP, although he claimed that the party's leadership continued to make statements for political advantage.

"In this government, all decisions are made with the full involvement of PPP's leadership," he added.

NA speaker

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday said it was neither his mandate nor responsibility to arrange a meeting between the two.

Defending his position after PTI leaders criticised him for not facilitating a meeting, the NA speaker in a statement expressed frustration over what he called the unjust criticism.

"I am being unjustly criticised for not arranging a meeting with PTI founder," he lamented.

Sadiq also addressed the suggestion that he step away from the negotiations. "If those criticising my position want me to walk out of the negotiation process, then I am ready to consider this proposal," he added.

Refuting claims that his absence abroad prevented him from facilitating a meeting, Sadiq added: "Just because I am abroad does not mean I cannot arrange a meeting. My doors are always open for everyone".

"It is regrettable to make such statements that there was no positive response from the speaker's office when contacting them," Sadiq said, referring to complaints raised by PTI leaders about his conduct.

"When the government and the opposition say so, I will immediately arrange a meeting," he added.