ISLAMABAD: Senior politician and former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has said that President Asif Ali Zardari could play a role in sending former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to the United Arab Emirates.
“The relations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are currently operating on a ‘quid pro quo’ principle, with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif playing an active role in facilitating the dialogue,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Muhammad Ali Durrani said senior politician Rana Sanaullah is also contributing positively to reconciliation efforts on behalf of Nawaz Sharif. Referring to remarks by Bilawal Bhutto at the death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto, Durrani said President Zardari has been quietly working towards political reconciliation, while Nawaz Sharif has been engaging opposition forces and pushing forward the process of political reconciliation in the country.
He said that the reconciliation efforts by President Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-N President Nawaz Sharif have started to yield tangible results. However, he criticised the government’s handling of medical issues concerning detainees, saying action should be taken against those responsible for alleged negligence regarding Imran Khan’s health and eye treatment.
He added that flexibility in matters of health and medical care would serve the broader national interest.
Speaking about parliamentary politics, Durrani said that veteran politician Mahmood Achakzai eventually secured the opposition leader’s position in the National Assembly with Nawaz Sharif’s support, adding that such an outcome would not have been possible without the PML-N head’s active assistance. “As long as Imran Khan remains in jail, the popularity of the ruling parties will continue to decline while Khan’s popularity will rise. This is a political reality, and both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif acknowledge this,” he said.
Durrani also stressed that political actors should avoid dragging the establishment into politics and instead pursue dialogue among political parties to foster national stability.
On the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had shifted his posture from confrontation to cooperation, which helped improve confidence-building efforts and the broader political environment.
He emphasised that terrorism remains a major national challenge requiring unity across the country.
Durrani said that the political balance is shifting towards equilibrium, and the direction events take in the coming period will determine the future political landscape.
