ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that JUI-F chief Fazal ur Rehman never demanded the governorship from the government.
Rana Sanaullah statementSpeaking in ARY News programme On My Radar, Rana Sanaullah said the government had wanted Fazal ur Rehman to become part of its alliance after the 2024 general elections, but he declined the offer.
He said JUI-F had only expressed its democratic views in parliament. Rana Sanaullah added that the government had repeatedly stated that the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become unavoidable, leaving no other option.
He said terrorism was becoming a threat to the very existence of the country and that the current wave of terrorism was different from the one Pakistan had faced over the past 40 years.
Rana Sanaullah alleged that India was funding terrorists in Afghanistan and supporting their training camps. He said India had been left frustrated after its defeat in the Marka-e-Haq.
The adviser said the entire nation and all political parties needed to unite in the fight against terrorism. He urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to stand alongside the armed forces and play its constitutional and legal role.
He said the government was still prepared to implement arrangements concerning meetings and hospital visits, describing these as political matters.
Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Rana Sanaullah said he should first fulfil his commitment to the state and work with the government against terrorism before raising other demands.
“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 conditional on being reinstated as chief minister.
Rana Sanaullah said the provincial assembly had been suspended by parliament for 60 days. After two months, parliament would review whether the assembly could resume its role.
He said the government had urged the opposition during negotiations to stand against terrorism for the sake of the state and the country’s survival. Political parties should fulfil their national responsibilities first and then raise their demands, he added.
The adviser criticised PTI’s political activities before its long march, saying its visits to Punjab and Sindh had harmed both the party and its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said the PTI should abandon conditional demands, support the fight against terrorism and then pursue its political agenda.
Rana Sanaullah also said he agreed with Faisal Vawda’s position on supporting the fight against terrorism, but disagreed with his remarks against democracy and political parties. He said he had advised Vawda to avoid such statements.
He added that Vawda was not, in his understanding, speaking on behalf of the government or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
On the proposal to create new provinces, Rana Sanaullah said his party and the government considered the matter complex and believed it should be debated in parliament. He said all lawmakers should express their views before a decision was reached through consensus.