Islamabad [Pakistan], December 19 : Pakistan Prime Minister's adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that any talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will rely on the approval of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and with the establishment onboard, The Express Tribune reported.
In an interview to a local news channel, Sanaullah said that the government's approach to Imran Khan's party will be inclusive of the establishment. He said, "Negotiations with PTI are conditional on Nawaz Sharif's approval, and the government will keep the establishment onboard."
Sanaullah said that talks with PTI could start by Sunday, stressing that a meeting had already been held with Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to discuss the matter, according to The Express Tribune report.
Rejecting the idea of any quick resolutions, he said that PTI's demands would not progress before Sunday. He said, "If PTI is eager for a civil disobedience movement in haste, they can pursue it, but it will ultimately fail miserably."
PML-N senior leader slammed the prospect of a civil disobedience movement, especially in relation to overseas Pakistanis. He stressed that these individuals, who send remittances to their families, would not stop their financial assistance, making the proposed movement ineffective.
He said, "Overseas Pakistanis send money to their loved ones, not to the government, so their remittances will continue regardless of any civil disobedience."
Last week, the federal government and Imran Khan's party were on the verge of initiating talks to resolve their differences and bring political stability to Pakistan. However, progress stalled as PML-N and PTI linked the talks to certain conditions.
The initial breakthrough came when PTI leader Asad Qaiser met Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to offer condolences. During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that talks were necessary, The Express Tribune reported.
PML-N and PTI had agreed to have a formal communication channel and establish committees to address issues in parliament through constructive talks.
Both parties had consented to establish a formal communication channel and form committees to address issues in parliament through constructive discussions, the report said. However, Imran Khan's party soon reassessed its stance, wanting to avoid the appearance of "begging for talks."
Meanwhile, some PML-N leaders said that PTI withdrew its call for civil disobedience and take permission from Imran Khan before holding talks with government, in order to prevent a repeat of the abrupt end to previous talks.