• Rana Sanaullah says PML-N, PTI, PPP and ‘fifth’ stakeholder need to sit down to build confidence
• Calls on opposition party to withdraw Feb 8 protest call
• Dogar says letting Achakzai meet Imran in jail can pave way for talks

ISLAMABAD: Amid no headway on the proposed dialogue between the government and the opposition, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that “confidence-building measures” between the leadership of the PML-N, the PTI, and the PPP could bring down political temperatures.

Speaking to Geo News on Thursday, the PML-N leader said the negotiations between the top leadership as well as a “fifth” stakeholder were crucial to finding a way out of the current crisis.

“Two of them are my leaders, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif. The third is President Asif Ali Zardari, the fourth is [incarcerated PTI leader] Imran Khan, and everyone knows who the fifth person is,” Mr Sanaullah said.

Though he did not name anyone, the reference ostensibly alluded to the military establishment — being a major stakeholder in the process.

In 2024, the PML-N stalwart had made a similar proposal, but at the time, he had only named three leaders — the elder Sharif, Mr Zardari, and Imran Khan — saying that the three bigwigs must sit together for political reconciliation.

On Thursday, however, he said efforts at the level of leaders like him and PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly, Malik Amir Dogar, would continue. But until confidence among the top leaders was established, the political situation would not see a breakthrough.

Mr Sanaullah added that confidence-building measures would be possible only when social media accounts propagating a hate campaign against the army and its leadership were shut down.

“The PTI leadership cannot evade responsibility [for these accounts] … They have to disown them,” he said, adding that the PTI could instead initiate propaganda against political parties.

He further said that the PTI should withdraw its call for a wheel-jam strike on February 8, as it would be a “failure” and would further “damage the situation”.

In response, Mr Dogar said the government should arrange a meeting between PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, MWM chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, and incarcerated PTI leader Imran Khan. “Hopefully, a path will be made,” he added.

“If these five leaders meet, the conflict can be resolved,” added Mr Dogar, without specifying which five leaders he was referring to.

The PTI has said that it will not engage in negotiations with the federal government. Party Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said the stance was adopted in line with the instructions of party founder Imran Khan.

In December last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his offer for talks with the opposition but also emphasised that dialogue between the two sides could only proceed on “legitimate matters”.

At a recent national conference, organised by the TTAP alliance, participants had agreed that the door for dialogue must never be closed in a democracy. Similarly, political leaders, including ruling PML-N stalwarts, from across the spectrum called for dialogue and restraint to achieve stability in the country, saying that political confrontation was causing instability and violence.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026