Rana Sanaullah Slams PTI’s Protest Drive as Bid to Destabilise Nation

ISLAMABAD — As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gears up for a fresh protest movement set to peak by August 5, the federal government has strongly criticised the former ruling party for bypassing political channels and seeking engagement with the establishment.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, speaking at private news channel program on Monday, denounced the PTI’s newly announced agitation campaign as a “deliberate attempt to destabilise the country” and undermine recent gains in political and economic stability.

“From their media talk, it is evident that they only want to destabilise and undermine the stability achieved after Marka-e-Haq and the government’s economic revival efforts,” said Sanaullah.

The criticism comes in response to remarks made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who announced the launch of a “do or die” movement aimed at securing the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, currently completing his second year in prison on August 5. During a presser flanked by senior party leaders including Salman Akram Raja, Gandapur stated that the movement would define PTI’s future political course.

Gandapur also indicated willingness to negotiate, but only with “decision makers,” a veiled reference to the military establishment rather than the political government — a move that has drawn sharp rebuke from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Sanaullah questioned PTI’s intentions, saying, “If you want to talk, what is the need for this 90-day deadline and the protest march toward Lahore?” He further stressed that the government has always supported peaceful protest as a democratic right, but warned that any unlawful actions would be met with legal consequences.

“If they remain peaceful, then it’s fine. But if they attempt to destabilise the country — which has been their agenda — then the law will take its due course,” Sanaullah warned.

He also reiterated that the government is open to dialogue, but expressed frustration over PTI’s approach. “They’re not reaching out to political forces. They’re still knocking on the establishment’s door, looking for a path back to power,” he said, adding that PTI’s past refusal to include Imran Khan’s release in negotiation topics further complicates matters.

While the government is not placing any conditions of its own, Sanaullah underlined that the administration’s primary goal remains economic stability. “Our only wish and struggle regarding Pakistan’s progress is its economic revival, and we are ready to sit with the PTI and others to ensure the stability that is needed for this,” he said, calling for consensus on a national ‘charter of economy’.

Read more: Rana Sanaullah Warns PTI Founder’s Sons of Arrest if They Join Protest Movement

With political tensions rising once again, all eyes will be on how the PTI’s protest movement unfolds in the coming weeks — and whether any room for meaningful dialogue remains in Pakistan’s sharply divided political landscape.