• Rana Sanaullah asserts legislature appropriate forum for debate, decision on new units
• Says PPP ‘overreacted’ on the issue
• Says govt fears PTI long march will be ‘violent’ unlike JI’s

LAHORE: The PML-N will state its position on the creation of new provinces or administrative units at the appropriate forum, primarily parliament, where such major issues are decided, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah.

Speaking at a press conference at the Model Town office, he said issues of such magnitude should not be reduced to speeches, social media, seminars or business forums.

“Both houses of parliament have been in session for weeks, but the issue has not come up for discussion. The cabinet also meets regularly, yet the matter has not even been raised there,” he said.

“To me, the PPP overreacted and acted prematurely by taking a position on the issue, when neither was warranted by the situation. It did so for political reasons and certainly benefited from it. The PML-N, meanwhile, is internally debating the issue and will be an active participant when it comes before parliament,” he said and added: “It has called a meeting of the provincial wing to further refine the response.”

When asked about his personal views on the issues, he said he could not arrogate the right of parliament by taking a position, even personal. “Even if a referendum, as suggested by some quarters, is seen as a way to settle the issue, it would still require parliament’s approval. Parliament is the ultimate forum for deciding such matters, and it is yet to take up the issue,” he added.

PML-N and PPP rift

On political friction between the PPP and PML-N, Mr Sanaullah said differences between the two parties had, by and large, been resolved. He attributed the tensions mainly to emotionally charged election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, saying the campaigns were over as well as the rift.

Rana Sanaullah, who is also a member of the core committees formed to resolve differences between the two major coalition partners, said both sides were committed to resolving the issues. “Ideally, the core committees should meet every month, but this could not happen due to the elections in GB and AJK. Meetings will now hopefully be held more regularly to smooth over any old or new rough patches,” he said.

On the Jamaat-i-Islami’s planned long march on Sept 20, Mr Sanaullah said the government had assured the JI that it was equally, if not more, committed to providing relief to the masses and urged it to trust the government on the issue.

“If they still want to protest, it is their right. The government knows it will be peaceful and within the law, so it is not a source of worry for us. However, the same cannot be said about the long march planned by the PTI,” he said.

“The government has reports that armed men, who do not meet the definition of political workers, will lead the march. Statements by party leaders about the protest are also provocative, including calls to topple the government through violence.

“Based on these reports, our assessment is that it could be a replay of May 9. If it takes that route and assumes a similar proportion, it would be very unfortunate. Since the matter is also before the courts, the government is awaiting their decisions before finalising its strategy. But one thing is certain: violence cannot be allowed,” he said.

On local government elections — seen by some as an alternative to creating new administrative units or provinces — Mr Sanaullah said they would be held in Punjab. The relevant act was already in place and would soon be put into effect to oversee the elections.

“Let the elections be held and allow the act to operate in the field. If necessary, it can be improved or amended,” he said. He confirmed that the prime minister had written to the leader of the opposition seeking consultations on the appointment of the chief election commissioner.

“I personally conveyed the message to Mehmood Khan Achakzai. His response was that he did not want to visit the Prime Minister’s Office for the consultation. We argued that it was not a personal office but a state institution, and visiting it for constitutional duties should not be interpreted politically,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2026