Talks can resume if PTI assures progress on counter-terrorism policy: Sanaullah

Home latest pakistan world sports showbiz entertainment Royal business health Sci-Tech Food Fact Check Sci-Tech Videos shows Watch –> Pakistan Talks can resume if PTI assures progress on counter-terrorism policy: Sanaullah PM’s aide says Centre has authority to formulate policy on terrorism and provincial govt bound to follow it By Web Desk | Published October 05, 2026

Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday said that negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could resume if the former ruling party assures “positive progress” on the counter-terrorism policy.

The latest round of talks between the government and opposition ended in deadlock early Sunday, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday had accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of attempting to sabotage negotiations between the PTI and the federal government.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had claimed that the primary reason for the failure of the talks was the federal government’s insistence that all anti-terrorism actions it unilaterally initiated in KP must be owned by the provincial government.

Speaking on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” today, Sanaullah said that the federal government had the constitutional authority to formulate policy on terrorism, while provincial governments were bound to follow it.

“The provincial government will have to play its role in this policy against terrorism at all costs,” he said.

He said the military and political leadership had decided to take the war against terrorism to its conclusion.

“Political issues, the PTI founder’s health and matters concerning meetings had been settled,” Sanaullah said.

Responding to a question, the PM’s aide said that the government had agreed on a meeting between the PTI founder and his personal doctors, adding that the party had been told to approach the court regarding the personal physicians.

Sanaullah said PTI representatives had initially agreed that the federal government would formulate the policy, but later demanded that the policy should be based on “consensus”.

“This is the federal government’s authority to formulate policy on external aggression,” he said, adding that the PTI’s position on the matter was “constitutionally and legally incorrect”.

Strategic decisions to counter external aggression are not made in an open forum, he added. Sanaullah said that the provincial government has no right to force the federation to reach a consensus on policy regarding external aggression.

On cross-border terrorism involving Afghanistan, he said talks with the Taliban had continued for years, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and China had also held negotiations with the group without reaching an agreement.

Sanaullah said people involved in terrorist attacks received training in Afghanistan and were controlled from there.

He said that Israelis were providing technical training at militants’ training camps in Afghanistan. “The Afghan Taliban had not used these drones before,” he added.

Referring to the long march led by KP CM Afridi, Sanaullah said 3,000 to 4,000 people had gathered when it started from Lakki Marwat.

For his part, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said that his party was ready to hold talks with the government at any time, adding that it had placed its issues before the government.

“The government has to decide what policy it adopts and where it takes the situation,” Qaiser added.

He said the party had decided that if governor’s rule or an emergency was imposed in KP, or CM Afridi was disqualified, they would withdraw from the assemblies.

The PTI leader said that the situation in Balochistan, KP and Kashmir was serious. He said they could not even protect their ministers and lawmakers in KP, where, he alleged, they were being picked up.

Qaiser alleged that the provincial government’s authority and rights were being denied, while the chief minister, who was responsible for law and order, was not being allowed to exercise his authority.