• PTI raises issue of Imran’s health, calls it top priority
• Sana says ex-PM getting facilities under court orders
• Lawmakers cite long queues, multiple security posts on Quetta-Hub route

ISLAMABAD: The government and opposition in the Senate on Friday agreed on the need to set aside differences and adopt the path of dialogue to steer the country out of crisis and deal effectively with terrorism.

This happened minutes after the two sides were seen jeering at each other. The mood shifted when former federal minister and PTI leader Azam Swati conceded that mistakes had been made by the PTI government, and called for learning from them to move forward.

He also called for reconciliation, saying that peace was under threat and joint efforts were needed to counter terrorism. He said the health of PTI founder Imran Khan remained a priority for his party, stressing that the poor and underprivileged looked to Mr Khan for relief.

Mr Swati urged Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah to play a positive role, saying trust in the justice system had eroded. “Allah likes mercy,” he said, urging decision-makers to take the first step and “spread the message of love”.

He called for ensuring fundamental rights, including the right to life, liberty and healthcare, for Mr Khan, and said he hoped the government would respond positively and move away from “politics of hatred”.

Responding in a conciliatory tone, Mr Sanaullah welcomed the admission of mistakes and said his government too was prone to mistakes. He agreed on the need to promote “love, not hatred”, and said matters could be resolved through talks. “We are ready to move forward,” he said.

Mr Sanaullah told the House that Mr Khan was being provided facilities in line with court orders and his entitlements as a former prime minister and was treated according to his own choice.

Earlier, opposition leader Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas criticised the government for allegedly denying constitutional rights to Mr Khan. “It is an injustice to turn politics into enmity,” he said, adding that a government’s legitimacy came into question if it failed to protect citizens’ fundamental rights.

He said he had “serious concerns” about Mr Khan’s health and alleged that his family, lawyers and personal physicians were not being allowed to meet him.

He demanded that Mr Khan be granted the rights available to him in custody.

Senator Abbas also alleged that police had started arresting PTI supporters and workers after the party announced protests for Feb 8.

“This can only happen in fascism and not in a respectable democratic country,” he said and called for a committee to examine prison conditions across the country.

Mr Sanaullah, taking exception to the opposition leader’s remarks, said the House should debate who had turned politics into “enmity” and “insult”. You reap what you sow,” he remarked.

He said the Islamabad High Court had issued directions for regulating meetings with Mr Khan and argued that the PTI had failed to adhere to “dos and don’ts” set out in court proceedings. He said the party could approach the court if it believed orders were being violated.

On the allegation of arrests ahead of Feb 8 protests, Mr Sanaullah said the PTI had no record of holding peaceful demonstrations and referred to the May 9 violent riots and Nov 26 protests in Islamabad. He also said a wheel-jam strike amounted to “violence in itself”.

Awami National Party chief Aimal Wali Khan said the conduct of both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments over the displacement of residents of Tirah Valley was unacceptable.

“Both governments are giving humorous statements against each other (over the issue),” he said and urged the Senate chair to summon a joint sitting of parliament to hear the positions of the prime minister and the provincial chief executive.

Amid protests from opposition benches, he said lawmakers should focus on public issues rather than “a prisoner”, adding that the incarceration or release of an individual was not the primary concern of ordinary people.

Separately, Senator Asad Qasim raised the issue of a Rangers checkpost at Hub on the Sindh-Balochistan border, saying commuters faced hours-long waits in queues stretching about two kilometres.

He urged the use of technology, saying movement across borders was essential for the economy. “You cannot think about corruption that is being committed and hardships that people face on our provincial and international borders,” he added.

Senator Jan Muh­ammad Buledi said travellers faced hardships at many checkposts on the Quetta-Hub route. “Pass­engers, including women and children, are made to sit on roads to wait for their turn,” he said.

Responding to the queries of lawmakers from Balochistan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the checkpost was lawful under rules governing Rangers and Customs operations and aimed to curb smuggling.

He said the terms of reference for scanning had been finalised in consultation with both provincial governments.

While acknowledging the inconvenience, he said personnel had been equipped with body cameras to prevent abuse of authority.

Speaking on a point of public importance, Senator Kamran Murtaza of JUI-F said Basant celebrations in Punjab were a cause of pain for people in Balochistan following recent terrorist attacks. He also criticised an announcement related to Basant by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab after the Gul Plaza tragedy.

Mr Chaudhry said it was the enemy’s desire to make Pakistan an “abnormal country” and urged lawmakers not to “speak the language of enemies”.

Mr Sanaullah said Basant had been announced long before the tragedy and called it unfair to link the festival with the Balochistan attacks.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026