Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, while speaking on the program 'Nadeem Malik Live', strongly criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging that the party supports anti-state and terrorist elements and has failed to condemn terrorism-related incidents adequately.
During the interview, Rana Sanaullah claimed that PTI has been supporting forces involved in terrorism and that its social media accounts were echoing narratives similar to those of the Indian media regarding the Jaffar Express train attack. "The PTI or its founder did not condemn the train incident as it should have," he added.
He also criticized Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch, stating that she did not condemn the attack and allegedly protested for the bodies of the deceased terrorists. "Even if someone wants to defend Mahrang Baloch, how can they do it?" he questioned.
PTI and politics of resistance
Referring to PTI's popularity, Rana Sanaullah dismissed the notion that it remains a strong political force. “PTI is not a popular party, nor is its founder. What is popular is resistance, and we have been doing resistance politics all our lives,” he asserted.
He recalled that PML-N had engaged in resistance politics during its struggles but never aligned itself against state institutions. He also remarked that Nawaz Sharif and PML-N had a history of opposing the establishment, countering the perception that they had always been close to it.
Rana Sana further stated that the PML-N did not get close to the establishment in 2024, but that "someone's disloyalty" worked in their favour. "We did not hamper the PTI founder's love for the establishment," he claimed, stressing that Shehbaz Sharif was not a "project", as opposed to the perception about Imran Khan's coming into power.
May 9, 2023 incidents and accountability
Discussing the May 9, 2023 incidents, Rana Sanaullah emphasized that the state -- meaning the establishment -- is the main plaintiff in the case. He referred to statements made by the ISPR director general, saying that if the PTI wanted to move forward politically and talk about those incidents, it must offer a sincere apology for the May 9 events.
"Any concession is contingent on an apology for the May 9 incidents," he stressed.
On the issue of military accountability, he revealed that army chief General Asim Munir had stated in the recent National Security Committee meeting that those responsible for wrong decisions must be held accountable. The army chief had asserted that such elements were being held accountable within the military, urging political leaders to follow the same principle within their ranks.
The former minister also claimed that former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed's name did not come up during the parliamentary committee on national security.
Ali Amin Gandapur’s statements and military operations
Commenting on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Rana Sanaullah said he had no significant political standing and only makes political statements.
He criticised Gandapur’s remarks regarding military operations, particularly his statement about not allowing any new operation. "Operations are ongoing, what permission does he have to give?" Sanaullah remarked.
Political opposition vs personal enmity
In his concluding remarks, Rana Sanaullah stressed that political opposition should not turn into personal enmity, but accused the PTI founder of crossing that line. He maintained that despite political differences, responsible leadership requires upholding national interests rather than engaging in confrontational politics.
