ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could not take place until the party postponed its planned long march.
Speaking to a private television channel, Rana said containers had been placed in Islamabad as a security measure, adding that they were positioned along the roadsides and that the roads remained open.
He said backchannel contacts with the PTI leadership were still continuing. However, he maintained that formal talks could not proceed unless the party deferred its September 27 long march.
Rana said the PTI was currently making statements regarding the proposed march but suggested that the march would not take place in practical terms.
He further said no one would be allowed to “storm” Islamabad, stressing that the government would not permit such an action in the capital.
The government’s remarks come amid continued political tensions over the PTI’s proposed protest campaign.
