There's something fishy about PTI's protest call: Sana

Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday criticised the PTI for seeking dialogue with the establishment instead of talking to politicians, suggesting the party only wanted to "destabilise the country with protests".

Sanaullah said that Gandapur's words made it clear that the PTI wanted to "destabilise the country, right after Marka-i-Haq" and the government's "success in economic revival, which lent Pakistan an opportunity for stability".

"Besides this, it is unknown what other agenda they have," he added.

Referring to the planned 90-day and August 5 protests, Sanaullah said, "If they remain peaceful, then it's fine (…) it is their democratic right. But if they take the law into their own hands and attempt to destabilise the country (…) then the law will take its due course."

He added that this destabilisation "has been their (PTI's) agenda from the beginning", referring to the party demonstrating outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) offices against their granting of an emergency loan to Pakistan.

He dismissed the notion that the government, despite being relatively stable now, would consider being more generous in negotiations for Imran's release, saying that "it had nothing to do with generosity and that the case was proceeding according to the rules of the court."

He pointed out how it was the PTI's own stance in previous negotiations that Imran's release would not be discussed, as the PTI founder himself expressed the desire to be acquitted on his own merit.