Islamabad, June 25, 2025: Prime Minister’s Advisor Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday reiterated the government’s willingness to engage in political dialogue, asserting that the stalemate persists due to the opposition’s refusal to reciprocate.
Speaking to the media following a meeting with opposition lawmakers, Rana Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had extended a clear and open invitation for talks from the floor of the National Assembly. “The Prime Minister even offered to meet in the Speaker’s chamber if the opposition was not comfortable with a direct meeting,” he added, stressing that “democracy moves forward through dialogue.”
Addressing economic concerns, Sanaullah clarified that while sales tax had technically been introduced in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA), its implementation has been deferred for one year. During this period, he said, the government held consultations to ensure income tax exemptions and customs duty relief remained in place, in line with the commitments made to the region’s residents.
He also acknowledged the concerns voiced by chambers of commerce and industry nationwide. “We had a productive meeting with representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier today to address these issues,” he said.
On the current political impasse, Sanaullah attributed the lack of progress in talks to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. “The political temperatures in the country can only be cooled through dialogue,” he remarked, “but it is the PTI founder who is obstructing meaningful engagement from the opposition’s side.”
