Islamabad: Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the prime minister on political affairs, has said that JUI-F chief Fazal ur Rehman never asked the government for the governorship. Sanaullah made the remarks while appearing on the programme On My Radar.
He said the government had hoped Fazal ur Rehman would join its alliance after the 2024 general elections, but the JUI-F leader turned the offer down. According to Sanaullah, the party had only voiced its democratic positions in parliament. He added that the government had repeatedly said that emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become unavoidable.
Sanaullah warns of terrorism and accuses India
Sanaullah described terrorism as a threat to the country’s very existence. He argued that the present wave of militancy differs from what Pakistan had confronted over the previous 40 years.
He alleged that India was financing terrorists in Afghanistan and supporting their training camps. In his account, New Delhi was frustrated after its defeat in Marka-e-Haq.
He called on the entire nation and all political parties to unite in the fight against militancy. He urged PTI to stand alongside the armed forces and carry out its constitutional and legal role. Sanaullah also said the government was still willing to put in place arrangements for meetings and hospital visits, which he described as political matters.
Conditions linked to Sohail Afridi and the provincial assembly
Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Sanaullah said he should first honour his commitment to the state and work with the government against terrorism. Other demands, he suggested, could wait. “He should come forward and work with us first; the other matters can be considered afterwards,” he said, adding that Afridi should not make his participation depend on being reinstated as chief minister.
Sanaullah said parliament had suspended the provincial assembly for 60 days. After two months, parliament would consider whether the assembly could resume its functions. He also said the government had urged the opposition, during negotiations, to stand against terrorism for the sake of the state’s survival, and that parties should meet their national duties before pressing their demands.
PTI criticism, Vawda remarks and new provinces
Sanaullah criticised PTI’s political activities ahead of its long march. He said its visits to Punjab and Sindh had damaged both the party and its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He argued that PTI should drop conditional demands, support the fight against terrorism, and only then pursue its political agenda.
He said he agreed with Faisal Vawda’s position on backing the campaign against terrorism, but disagreed with Vawda’s remarks against democracy and political parties. Sanaullah said he had advised Vawda to avoid such statements. He added that, as he understood it, Vawda was not speaking on behalf of the government or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
On the proposal to create new provinces, Sanaullah said his party and the government regarded the matter as complex and believed it should be debated in parliament. All lawmakers, he said, should voice their views before a decision is reached through consensus.
