PUTRAJAYA, Sept 6 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pledged today to end PKR efforts to negotiate with PAS, to ensure the unity of the Pakatan Harapan pact.

This comes after de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that he had initiated the protracted talks, which Dr Mahathir said implied that PKR still harboured hopes of an electoral collaboration with the Islamist party.

"Anwar has openly said that they should continue to speak with PAS. As a group, we decided no more dealing with PAS. No way we can accept PAS into grouping,” he said, adding that this would complicate seat negotiations.

"We have decided as group no more dealing with PAS, but the statement by Anwar was that he will try and talk to old friends. We will put a stop to that," Dr Mahathir said during a town-hall session today at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman also claimed that PAS has no intention of deposing the ruling Barisan Nasional, adding that the party only planned to spoil the contest between BN and PH.

The former prime minister said that PH parties are currently resolving internal problems and negotiating the allocation of seats among themselves.

The currently imprisoned Anwar last week issued a statement to reveal that he was behind PKR's attempts to court PAS, and to affirm that he supported continued efforts in this direction despite the PH presidential council decision to end these.

Anwar is PH de facto leader and was named above Dr Mahathir in the pact's hierarchy, but it is unclear what authority — if any — is attributed to his position.