CBMs among 'five' major players can ease political situation

Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has stated that implementing "confidence-building measures" among the country's five major players could help stabilise the political landscape.

"Two of them are my leaders, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif. The third is President Asif Ali Zardari, the fourth is [imprisoned PTI leader] Imran Khan, and everyone knows who the fifth person is," Sanaullah said while speaking to a private TV channel on Thursday.

The PM's aide noted that efforts by leaders such as himself and PTI's chief whip in the National Assembly Malik Amir Dogar, would continue, but a breakthrough in the political situation would remain unlikely until trust is built among the top leadership.

He maintained that confidence-building measures would be possible only when social media accounts propagating a hate campaign against the army and its leadership are shut down.

"The PTI leadership can't evade responsibility [for these accounts] ... They have to disown them," he observed, adding that PTI could instead initiate propaganda against political parties.

He stressed that the PTI should withdraw its call for a wheel-jam strike on Feb 8, as it would be a "failure" and would further "damage the situation".

Responding to Sanaullah, Dogar said the government should arrange a meeting between PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, MWM chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan. "Hopefully, a path will be made," he added.

"If these five leaders meet the conflict can be resolved," added Dogar, without specifying which five leaders he was referring to.

Separately, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram denied any contacts with the government regarding negotiations. He was speaking to a private TV channel.

"We have outright rejected the negotiations," he said, adding that Imran Khan had stated the PTI would not negotiate with a Form-47 government.