Breakthrough Impossible Without Trust Among Pakistan’s Top Five

Islamabad(Mudassar Iqbal/Web Desk)-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah on Thursday emphasized the importance of confidence-building and continuous engagement among Pakistan’s top leadership, stating that a political breakthrough would not be possible without restoring trust at the highest level.

He explained that the “top five” figures include Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, PTI founder Imran Khan, and one additional individual whose name he did not disclose. Sanaullah, who also serves as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, warned that without meaningful steps to rebuild trust among these leaders, the country would continue to face political stagnation. He added that informal interactions at lower levels would not be sufficient to resolve the ongoing crisis.

Responding to PTI leader Amir Dogar’s call for initiating dialogue — who was also present during the programme — Sanaullah clarified that personal or lower-level contacts would not result in any significant progress.

The senator reiterated that direct engagement among top leaders was essential to steer the situation toward a positive outcome. He also urged authorities to take action against social media accounts allegedly running campaigns against state institutions, calling for their closure.

He rejected PTI leadership’s stance that it had no control or connection with those accounts, asserting that the party could not absolve itself of responsibility by making such claims.

The senator further said the PTI leadership should publicly disassociate itself from those accounts and ensure their closure, adding that if the intent was merely propaganda, it should be directed against rival political parties and politicians rather than state institutions.

Warning the PTI against its February 8 protest call, Sanaullah said the appeal would fail, and the party would be unable to paralyse the country.

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He cautioned that any attempt to enforce a wheel-jam strike would result in strict action, leading to further losses for the party. He urged the PTI to withdraw its February 8 protest call, warning that continued confrontation would worsen the situation rather than improve it.

Meanwhile, Dogar, in the same programme, said that his party faced political victimisation in 2025, expressing hope that 2026 would bring an end to such targeted actions. He added that the country achieved a measure of political and economic stability during the past year.

Dogar stressed that the meeting with Imran should be allowed to discuss ground realities and advise on possible solutions.

He specifically requested that the government permit Opposition Leaders in the Senate and National Assembly, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Achakzai, respectively, to meet with the PTI founder. He said that if such engagement takes place, it could open avenues for resolving disputes and ending ongoing conflicts.

Responding to Dogar’s request, Sanaullah said that ending anti-institution social media campaigns could steer the political climate positively and facilitate meetings with the PTI founder, helping to resolve ongoing political tensions.

Sanaullah also revealed that when the PTI founder’s sister recently met him, the jail superintendent instructed her not to speak to the media after the visit, highlighting the restrictions around such high-profile meetings.

Highlighting the importance of high-level consultations, Dogar said that a meeting among the country’s “top five” political figures could put an end to political deadlock.

He acknowledged that such a breakthrough might not happen immediately but stressed the importance of keeping political doors open to dialogue and cooperation.