Vawda disputes Sanaullah’s claim that ‘deal’ was offered to Imran

Senator Faisal Vawda on Tuesday questioned Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah over his claim that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was twice offered a political deal but chose not to accept it.

“First, tell us when, where and how? Or is it one of those deals that only exist in your imagination and only you know?” » Vawda asked in a message on X addressed to Sanaullah.

He adds: “I think you are lucky that, in your opinion, he did not accept the deal. If the founder of the PTI had accepted this so-called deal, you know very well that he would then have attacked the politicians – and he would not have spared you either. Where the politicians would have gone after that, even I do not know.”

Vawda further warned against what he described as shooting “political arrows in the air”, warning that such statements could backfire on those who make them. “The political maneuvers of the past are now outdated. Think of something new,” he concluded.

Sanaullah previously said the PTI founder was twice offered a deal but declined, without publicly detailing the nature or timing of the alleged offers. A day earlier, he had claimed that during the PTI protest in November 2024, Imran had initially agreed to hold talks and not protest at D-Chowk, but later withdrew, adding that it was a missed opportunity for his release.

In an interview with private media’s ‘Capital Talk’ show on Wednesday, Sanaullah revealed that the government, including Interior Minister Naqvi, had made an offer to Imran, proposing that the party hold its planned sit-in in November 2024 at Sangjani instead of marching to D-Chowk.

“He (Imran) was given wise advice, and Mohsin Naqvi was directly engaged in negotiations with him, telling him not to come towards Islamabad or go to D-Chowk, but to sit at Sangjani and hold negotiations there. Initially, Imran Khan agreed to this, but after agreeing, he backed down and said that Bushra Bibi would decide. Then she took the decision that they would go to D-Chowk,” said Sanaullah.

He explained that if Imran had agreed, he would have obtained concessions, adding that the decision had led to a missed opportunity for his release. Asked if Imran would have said he didn’t want to come out, Sanaullah replied: “You can say that. » The prime minister’s aide said the PTI founder could have secured his release from Adiala jail if the party had chosen a more peaceful line of action during its 2024 protest.

Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar strongly rejected media reports suggesting a “deal” between the government and Imran. In a statement shared on X, Tarar said: “There is no deal or leniency for Imran. » He added that any suggestion that the government would grant concessions to Imran Khan was “entirely false and misleading”.

Tarar concluded with, “Imran Khan is a convicted criminal and the news regarding his release is baseless. There is no truth in these news.”

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after convictions that he and the PTI say were politically motivated. Since his ouster in 2022 in a vote of no confidence, he has faced numerous cases, including state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, and appeals are underway. He denies any wrongdoing.